Summer Davos spotlight falls on host city Dalian's economic rise

DALIAN, China, June 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from China Daily:

The World Economic Forum's 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.

The modern marine metropolis of Dalian enjoys the status of a central city in coastal China and serves as an international comprehensive transportation hub. It 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.

The city 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, experts said.

Far-reaching effects

Between 2015 and 2024, the forum was held four times in Dalian, attracting 50 foreign-funded projects. 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.

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 ($147.56 billion) yuan in 2025, marking a 5.7 percent increase over 2024. Experts believe that surpassing the 1-trillion-yuan milestone will boost confidence in regional development and inject strong momentum into the across-the-board revitalization of Northeast China.

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. It has strengthened its competitive edge in the field of advanced chemical materials.

In the field of equipment manufacturing, Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co has been increasing investment in the research and development of innovative energy-efficiency technologies and alternative fuels.

CRRC Dalian has exported its products and services to 33 countries and regions, 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 offshore engineering equipment, and 58 billion yuan in high-end bearings, CNC machine tools and advanced rail transit equipment.

Innovation-driven growth

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 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.

Currently, the city is home to more than 10,000 tech-driven businesses. It 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.

Green development

Dalian has been recognized as a benchmark city for international business environment development for four consecutive years.

Meanwhile, 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.

Efforts are also made to advance offshore wind power projects. 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.

As the only international cruise home port in Northeast China, Dalian Port has handled 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 popular cultural and tourism spots, the Suoyuwan Football Stadium stands out as a unique landmark. As the only international-standard professional soccer stadium surrounded by the sea on three sides in China, it has a seating capacity of 63,000.

Teams from Dalian have won the championship in China's top league eight times. In the city, the tradition and legacy of soccer culture have never been broken.

Its deep-rooted soccer 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.

The charm of Dalian extends far beyond soccer 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, more leisurely vacation experiences, such as flower-viewing, family-friendly getaways and relaxed urban strolls, are also highly favored.

SOURCE China Daily