The 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, aka the Summer Davos, is being held in Dalian from June 23 to 25, attracting guests from home and abroad to the coastal city in Liaoning province.
Located at 122 degrees east longitude and 39 degrees north latitude, the modern marine metropolis of Dalian enjoys the status of a central city in coastal China and serves as an international comprehensive transportation hub. This city, which grew around its ports and thrives by the sea, is one of the country's earliest cities to open up to the world.
Dalian has been home to the annual meeting since its launch in 2007, hosting the annual meeting in alternate years, alongside Tianjin. This year marks the ninth time that Dalian has hosted the Summer Davos forum.
Focusing on the theme of "Innovating at Scale", participants from around the world, including those from political, business and academic circles, as well as international organizations, will hold a series of discussions to explore new paths for cooperation and development during the three-day event, contributing fresh insights to global economic growth. Participation has reached a record high in the history of Summer Davos.
Dalian has become a vital partner of the forum due to its unique position as a bridge between East and West, its distinctive cultural charm, appealing urban environment, well-developed infrastructure and solid industrial capabilities. These qualities and advantages make it an ideal platform for showcasing innovation and fostering collaboration, experts said.
More than 60,000 spectators watch Dalian Yingbo play in the Chinese Super League at the Dalian Suoyuwan Football Stadium on March 29, 2025. The state-of-the-art venue is a popular destination for experiencing Dalian's vibrant sports culture. LI SHUAI/FOR CHINA DAILY
Far-reaching effects
Between 2015 and 2024, the forum was held four times in Dalian, attracting 50 foreign-funded projects. During the 2024 edition, 13 foreign-invested projects, involving a combined contract value of 16.43 billion yuan ($2.42 billion), were introduced to the city.
The forum has drawn leading global companies such as SK Group and Orix into the city, and the foreign investment focus has shifted from diverse areas to cutting-edge industries, according to a report on the forum's impact on Dalian, which was released in 2025.
Government data show that 217 new foreign-invested enterprises were established in the city in 2025, with paid-in investment reaching $2.7 billion, a 43.8 percent increase from 2024.
Dalian's GDP surpassed 1 trillion yuan in 2025, marking a 5.7 percent increase over 2024.
Experts believe that surpassing the 1-trillion-yuan milestone on the economic landscape of Northeast China will boost confidence in regional development and inject strong momentum into the across-the-board revitalization of traditional industrial bases in Northeast China.
The momentum has continued into this year. During the first quarter, Dalian's GDP grew by 5.4 percent year-on-year, and paid-in foreign investment reached $430 million.
Industrial upgrading
Dalian is accelerating the optimization of its industrial structure, with its advantageous traditional industries rapidly transitioning toward higher-end, intelligent and eco-friendly development.
At a six-cylinder engine workshop of FAW Jiefang Dalian Diesel Engine, automated guided vehicles shuttle intelligently, and industrial robots operate with precision. Such modern smart manufacturing scenes are ubiquitous in the company, providing a vivid example of the revitalization of Dalian's traditional industries.
In the petrochemical industry, Dalian continues to enhance its two core industry chains — aromatics and olefins. With a run of major projects being completed and put into operation, the city has strengthened its competitive edge in the field of advanced chemical materials.
In the field of equipment manufacturing, Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, has been increasing investment in the research and development of innovative energy-efficiency technologies and alternative fuels.
DSIC has delivered the world's first liquefied natural gas dual-fuel-powered very large crude carrier and methanol dual-fuel-powered VLCC.
CRRC Dalian has reported steady growth in its overseas business, with its products and services exported to 33 countries and regions, including Laos, Malaysia, New Zealand and Uzbekistan, covering a range of offerings such as locomotives, intercity trains and urban rail vehicles.
Nowadays Dalian has created major industrial clusters, with a scale of 400 billion yuan in green petrochemicals and fine chemicals, 100 billion yuan in next-generation automotive industries, 80 billion yuan in shipbuilding and of shore engineering equipment, and 58 billion yuan in high-end bearings, CNC machine tools and advanced rail transit equipment.
In the first quarter of this year, the value-added output of industrial enterprises above designated size in the city increased by 9.9 percent, while their profits grew by 36.6 percent.
An elevated view of Dalian. The coastal city is hosting the 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, from Tuesday to Thursday, attracting approximately 1,700 participants from 90 countries and regions. WANG HUA/FOR CHINA DAILY
Innovation-driven growth
The Annual Meeting of the New Champions has driven technological innovation, injecting momentum into Dalian's development of new quality productive forces.
The report found that since the forum's inception, Dalian's total R&D investment has risen from 4.28 billion yuan in 2007 to 28.09 billion yuan in 2023, and the R&D spending made up a growing proportion of GDP, rising from 1.39 percent in 2007 to 3.21 percent in 2023.
Dalian leverages scores of local higher education and research institutions, including the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Dalian University of Technology, to promote the synergy between technological and industrial innovation.
Currently, there are two national Belt and Road joint laboratories and 10 national key laboratories in Dalian, covering sectors including clean energy, fine chemicals, rail transit and intelligent manufacturing.
Building on its research hub of Yinggeshi Science City, Dalian is building an internationally influential innovation hub to enhance its ability to tackle technological challenges collaboratively.
A total of 398 laboratories across 25 research fields moved into Yinggeshi Science City by the end of 2025.
In the digital economy sector, the number of enterprises above designated size in the city exceeded 400 by 2024. The sector generated an industrial added value of 75.26 billion yuan that year, representing a year-on-year increase of 17.8 percent, according to the report.
The contribution of the sector to the city's GDP grew to 7.9 percent in 2024, establishing it as a key new engine for economic growth.
Currently, the city is home to more than 10,000 tech-driven businesses, and the number of high-value invention patents per 10,000 people in the city has increased by more than 75 percent over the past five years.
As capital, projects, technology, talent and information are continuously fl owing into Dalian, the city has established a strategic emerging industry system centered around software and information technology services, electronic information manufacturing, biopharmaceuticals and advanced medical devices, and new materials.
As one of China's major futures markets, the Dalian Commodity Exchange continues to enhance its level of international operations, expanding the number of tradeable products available to qualified foreign investors from 14 to 27.
Green development
Dalian has taken the forum as an opportunity to improve its business environment, focusing on aligning with international standards and further easing market access. It has been recognized as a benchmark city for international business environment development for four consecutive years.
At the same time, the city is systematically advancing its green and low-carbon transition, with 71 national-level and 108 provincial-level green factories established.
The Shenyang-Dalian hydrogen energy expressway has been included in the national master plan.
The city leads or participates in the formulation of more than 70 percent of the international and national standards for the hydrogen energy industry in China, and it is capable of establishing a complete industry chain covering hydrogen production, storage, transportation, refueling and utilization.
Meanwhile, substantial efforts are being made to advance of shore wind power projects, resulting in the establishment of the largest of shore wind power base in northern China.
By the end of 2025, installed capacity and electricity generation from clean energy accounted for 64 percent and 75 percent of the city's total, respectively.
Booming tourism
The number of inbound tourists to Dalian jumped by 70.2 percent year-on-year in 2025, setting a new historical record, said Shan Meina, head of the Dalian bureau of culture and tourism.
In the first five months of this year, Dalian received 39.6 percent more inbound visitors compared to the same period of 2025.
"Dalian's 2,211-kilometer coastline is not only a 'blue necklace' but also a 'golden lifeline'," she said.
As the only international cruise home port in Northeast China, Dalian Port has handled a total of 143 international cruise ship visits since 2016, serving nearly 280,000 inbound and outbound passengers, according to the statistics from the Dalian entry-exit border inspection station.
Among Dalian's cultural and tourism hot spots, the Suoyuwan Football Stadium stands out as a unique landmark. As the only international-standard professional football stadium surrounded by the sea on three sides in China, it has a seating capacity of 63,000.
On May 23, as the intense competition of the 14th round of the 2026 Chinese Super League season came to an end, the stadium transformed into a roaring sea of excitement. A total of 62,356 fans celebrated the victory with a resounding and unified chant of Sha-la-la, a signature cheering anthem tailored for Dalian's devoted football fans. So far this season, the stadium has boasted the highest attendance rate in all of Asia.
Teams from Dalian have won the championship in China's top league eight times. In the city, the tradition and legacy of football culture have never been broken.
As one of the first high-level comprehensive reform pilot zones for youth campus football in China, Dalian had 286 national-level youth campus football characteristic schools and 124 national-level football-oriented kindergartens by 2025.
Its deep-rooted football culture has earned Dalian the opportunity to play host to the International School Sports Federation Football World Cup in 2024 and the 2025 FISU University World Cup Football.
These two international youth football events brought together young players from dozens of countries to Dalian, fostering friendship and connections through the love of the game.
The charm of Dalian, dubbed the "city of football", extends far beyond the sport itself.
For instance, the Dalian Marathon has been held 36 times, and the Dalian International Walking Festival, now in its 24th session, attracted more than 300,000 participants from home and abroad.
In addition to the thrilling sports events, more leisurely vacation experiences, such as flower-viewing, family-friendly getaways and relaxed urban strolls, are also highly favored.
In 2025, the number of sea fishing enthusiasts visiting Changhai county, Dalian, exceeded 190,000, driving revenue from homestays, dining, fishing gear and related services in the county up by more than 30 percent.
As Dalian is in the spotlight as the host of the ongoing Annual Meeting of the New Champions, the city is riding the wave to showcase its economic strengths and enhance its opening-up to the world.
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