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Davos 2022: A World of Geopolitical Conflicts & Security Issues | Europe In :60 | GZERO Media

A different Davos amid geopolitical conflicts and security issues

Carl Bildt, former prime minister of Sweden shares his view from the 2022 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

What are the topics and discussions going on in Davos, this year?

It's a very different Davos. It's fewer people. There are obviously no Russians. They are banned from here, rightly so. There are hardly any Chinese. And a lot of the discussion is, of course, where is the world heading? This is not the world that Davos wanted to create. It's a world of geopolitical conflicts. It's a world of security issues. But it's a world where we still need to come together and see if we can find common solution on the green transition, on the digital issues, and after all, also on peace and war.

Xi Jinping WEF Speech On China Global Leadership Falls Flat | Italy PM | World In :60 | GZERO Media

Xi Jinping's WEF speech on China's global leadership falls flat; Italy PM resigns over stimulus

Ian Bremmer shares his perspective on global politics on this week's World In (More Than) 60 Seconds:

What did you think of Xi Jinping's speech at the virtual World Economic Forum?

Well, his last speech at the real World Economic Forum in Davos, I remember being there four years ago, and given that Trump had just been elected, Xi Jinping gives this big, "We want to stand up and be leaders while the Americans are doing America first." And generally speaking, was probably the most important speech of the week. People liked it. This is a pretty different environment, not so much because Trump has gone, but rather because support and belief in Xi Jinping is pretty low. I will say one thing that was generally well responded to was the call not to enter into a new Cold War. Anybody in the business community generally supports that. There's so much integration and interdependence between the US and the Chinese economies that when Xi Jinping says, "We need to find ways to continue to work together," I mean, this is the pro-globalization audience he's speaking to. They generally agree. But otherwise, the message fell pretty flat. So, the idea that China is going to be globally useful on issues of leadership, especially when it comes to anything that might threaten Beijing's sovereignty, they check global norms at the door. And a few examples of that, when Xi called for support for the rules-based international order, that's in obvious contrast with China's violation of the one country, two systems framework in Hong Kong. And they said, "Well, that's a domestic issue." Well, actually that's not what your agreement was with the British handover. And just because you're more powerful doesn't mean that norm doesn't matter anymore.

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