Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks at the Economic Summit of China Development Forum 2019 in Beijing, capital of China, March 23, 2019.  (Photo:Xinhua)

The China Development Forum (CDF), an annual high-level event hosted by the Development Research Center of the State Council, China's cabinet, is scheduled for later this month, the first major international conference to be held in the country after the conclusion of the annual two sessions. 

The CDF will see the largest foreign attendance this year, the event's organizer revealed to the Global Times on Monday, an indication that the Chinese market remains an appealing one for foreign businesses and institutions.

Oliver Zipse, chairman of the board of management of BMW AG, will co-chair this year's CDF, a gathering of executives of 100-plus foreign firms including Apple CEO Tim Cook, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, HSBC Chief Executive Noel Quinn, Chuck Robbins, chairman and CEO of Cisco, Ray Dalio, founder and chairman of hedge fund Bridgewater Associates and Jakob Stausholm, CEO of Rio Tinto Group, according to a posting on the CDF's official WeChat account on Monday.

The event, held annually since 2000, will offer both in-person and online components at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing from Saturday through Monday under the theme of "China on a New Journey Toward Modernization." 

The 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) that unfolds this year marks the first five-year plan for the country to embark on a new journey to fully build a modern socialist country and realize the second centenary goal.

In addition to foreign business executives, an array of foreign influencers, economists and leaders of global financial institutions including former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger, former US treasury secretary Lawrence H. Summers and Ángel Gurría, secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development will be among the event's attendees this year. 

Global Times