The CEO of Chinese tech giant Xiaomi's Lei Jun said on Monday that his company is determined to integrate AI technology in to all of its products and boost the company’s global influence.
Lei says he was inspired to make ambitious plans for the company’s future after attending a symposium on private enterprises in Beijing on Monday, where Chinese President Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, delivered an important speech after consultations with representatives from private companies.
"I feel deeply the care, support, and encouragement from the general secretary and the Party for private enterprises and entrepreneurs. This has greatly boosted our confidence," Lei said.
Lei added that Xi had provided invaluable advice, encouraging private enterprises to remain committed to their core businesses and enhance their global competitiveness.
"Over the past 15 years, Xiaomi has remained dedicated to smartphones, electric vehicles, smart home products, and intelligent manufacturing. Our goal is to integrate cutting-edge technologies, like AI, into our terminal products to enhance consumer experiences. Secondly, while expanding in the domestic market, we are also striving to boost the global influence of Chinese products," he said.
Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun eyes AI integration and global expansion
Geoeconomic confrontation is the leading short-term global threat in 2026, the World Economic Forum (WEF) warned in its Global Risks Report 2026 released on Wednesday ahead of its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
The report ranks geoeconomic confrontation as the top risk for 2026, followed by interstate conflict, extreme weather, societal polarization, and misinformation and disinformation. It also identifies geoeconomic confrontation as the most severe risk over the next two years.
"I think if there is to be one key takeaway from the report, it's that we are entering an age of competition and this new competitive order is then shaping current global risks, but it is also shaping and to some extent hindering our ability to actually cope with them. That's really the key takeaway. If we take a look at, the number one risk both for 2026 and two years out, it's dual economic confrontation. But then if we look at the risks 10 years out. It's really the climate and environment related risks. All of these things require global cooperation and that's where we're seeing a big backsliding in this new age of competition," said Saadia Zahidi, managing director of the WEF.
Economic risks showed the largest increase in the two-year outlook, with concerns over economic downturns, inflation, rising debt and potential asset bubbles intensifying amid geoeconomic tensions, the report said.
Environmental risks remain the most severe overall, led by extreme weather, biodiversity loss and critical changes to Earth systems. The report noted that three-quarters of respondents expect a turbulent environmental outlook.
Risks related to adverse outcomes of artificial intelligence rose sharply, climbing from 30th in the two-year horizon to fifth in the 10-year outlook, reflecting concerns over impacts on labor markets, society and security.
The 21st edition of the report draws on views from more than 1,300 experts, policymakers and industry leaders.
The WEF's annual meeting will be held in Davos from Jan 19 to 23 and draw nearly 3,000 guests from more than 130 countries and regions to participate.
"So overall, we are starting to see this shift away from what have traditionally been the ways in which people have been able to cooperate. Now, that is not to say that any of this is a foregone conclusion. And I think that's a really important message around the risks report. None of this is set in stone. All of this is in the hands of leaders. Whether they choose to cooperate and invest in resilience or whether they do not. So that's really what we'll be focused on next week in Davos bringing leaders together under this overall theme of 'a spirit of dialogue' and trying to reestablish relationships, cooperation and trust. That's the fundamental," said Zahidi.
WEF warns of rising geoeconomic risks in 2026
