Top business leaders at the 2025 Summer Davos in north China's Tianjin Municipality voiced optimism for the future development of China's private economy sector.
Also known as the 16th Annual Meeting of the New Champions of the World Economic Forum (WEF), the Summer Davos was held from Tuesday to Thursday under the theme "Entrepreneurship for a New Era". It has attracted over 1,700 influential figures from more than 90 countries and regions to discuss how entrepreneurship and emerging technologies can unlock dynamic and resilient economies.
"According to our 28th Annual CEO Survey, we noted despite the short-term challenges, actually the 72 percent of Chinese CEOs told us they are pretty optimistic of their business growth within the next three years. That means they are still very confident for the long-term development in China," said Zhou Xing, Public Affairs and Corporate Sustainability Leader at PwC China.
Other leaders noted Chinese government's efforts to foster the sector's development, including promoting innovation and the establishment of a legal framework.
"The Chinese government has introduced numerous supportive and innovation-driven policies for private companies. I believe that, especially in the era of AI, private enterprises will play an even greater role," said Zhou Yunjie, Chairman and CEO of Chinese home appliance giant Haier.
"China has recently enacted a Private Economy Promotion Law, the first of its kind to bolster the private sector, aiming to ensure fair competition, protect private businesses' rights, and promote sustainable development. It provides a legal guarantee and a comprehensive institutional framework for the development of the private economy. This law will significantly boost confidence in the growth of private enterprises while laying a solid foundation for their long-term development," said Li Dongsheng, Founder and Chairman of Chinese consumer electronics brand TCL.
Business leaders voice optimism about China's private economy growth
Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Italy and Greece on Saturday to protest against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, with protesters in Rome, Milan and Athens condemning Washington's actions and calling for respect for Venezuelan sovereignty.
In Rome, more than 1,000 demonstrators marched toward the area near the U.S. Embassy, calling on Washington to immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
Police blocked roads around the embassy to prevent protesters from approaching the building, but demonstrators continued to denounce U.S. actions.
"First of all, we oppose U.S. imperialist aggression. This kind of behavior is shameful. The U.S. is attacking a sovereign country, and as [U.S. President Donald] Trump himself has said, this is for oil interests," said protester Giovanni Barbera.
Saturday's rally marked the second large-scale protest in Rome this month against U.S. military operations in Venezuela, following an earlier one on on Jan 3.
Participants included members of multiple political parties, labor unions and social organizations. The protesters held banners reading "Stop imperialist interference" and "Free Maduro," urging the international community to respect Venezuela's sovereignty and the will of its people, and condemning the U.S. for violating international law.
"We are protesting the way the U.S. handles international politics. Since the events of January 3, we have seen violations of international law, and we are very concerned about how the global situation is developing," said protester Stefano De Angelis.
Organizers said solidarity rallies in support of Venezuela were held in 30 Italian cities on the same day.
Meanwhile, similar protests were also staged in Greece. About 200 people gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Athens, voicing support for Venezuela and opposition to U.S. military actions.
"We oppose U.S. imperialism and its attack on Venezuela. At the same time, the U.S. is also threatening Cuba, Mexico and Greenland. We must stand up against this behavior," said Greek protester Argiro Sirmakezi.
Protesters rally in Italy, Greece against U.S. military operation in Venezuela
