Davos leaders debate India, China 'threat'

AFP, January, 2007

DAVOS, Switzerland (AFP) — China and India have grabbed the early spotlight at the World Economic Forum in Davos as delegates debated, with both anticipation and concern, the growing economic clout of the two Asian giants.

The titles of the seminars on offer at the annual gathering of global movers and shakers hinted at the feeling of suspicion and sense of threat which both nations arouse in many Western politicians and business leaders.

"What kind of world does China want?" "What's on the minds of Asia's new business giants?" were among the topics up for discussion.

In her keynote speech opening the four-day forum, German Chancellor Angela Merkel offered her interpretation of the Forum's theme -- "The Shifting Power Equation" -- by highlighting the "enormous changes" underway in China and India.

"One third of the world's population are no longer observers of what's happening on the world stage, ...