Davos — The global elite wraps up its talkathon in the Swiss ski resort of Davos on Friday, at about the same time that Donald Trump enters the White House on a wave of anti-elitist anger. Here are five key themes from this year’s World Economic Forum (WEF), which gathers movers and shakers from business, politics, academia and showbiz every year for a week of earnest debate and extravagant partying. China’s president Xi Jinping emerged as an unlikely capitalist hero as Davos got started on Tuesday, with a staunch defence of globalisation that stood in stark contrast to the protectionist Trump. The first Chinese supremo to address Davos, Xi said there was "no point in blaming economic globalisation for the world’s problems" at a time when anger over the downsides of open borders has triggered political revolts in the US, UK and beyond. The message won glowing praise from Davos delegates — though the irony of the communist leader’s new status as a capitalist darling was not lost on o...

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.