Foundation of 2026 global economy more solid than anticipated: ECB chief

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde sees more solid foundations of the global economy in 2026 than anticipated, expressing her confidence on the economic outlook of the year.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN) on the sidelines of the 2026 World Economic Forum (WEF), Lagarde shared her views on global macroeconomic outlook, monetary policy direction, financial stability and the role of international cooperation amid growing uncertainty.

When asked about the expectations on the 2026 global economy, Lagarde said, "I think we are entering 2026 with more solid foundations than we had anticipated back in 2025. If I look at numbers, growth is higher than we had anticipated. The number of people employed is higher. The number of people unemployed is lower. Monetary policy for which I am responsible is in a good place. We have our target of two-percent medium term spot on, and inflation has been defeated. I'm saying that the foundations are much more solid than we had anticipated". Under the theme "A Spirit of Dialogue," the 2026 WEF meeting opened on Monday in the Swiss Alpine town of Davos and will run through Friday. About 3,000 leaders and experts worldwide are gathering to discuss five pressing global challenges, including enhancing cooperation, unlocking new sources of growth and deploying innovation at scale and responsibly.

The central parity rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the yuan, weakened 49 pips to 6.8929 against the U.S. dollar Friday, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System.

In China's spot foreign exchange market, the yuan is allowed to rise or fall by 2 percent from the central parity rate each trading day.

The central parity rate of the yuan against the U.S. dollar is based on a weighted average of prices offered by market makers before the opening of the interbank market each business day.