China Development Forum to draw top CEOs, Chinese officials

Over 80 CEOs and presidents from Fortune Global 500 companies will gather in Beijing this weekend to discuss with top Chinese officials how the country's economy will develop in the next five years.

Leading global entrepreneurs from energy, finance, tech and other sectors will attend the China Development Forum, which is being held from Saturday to Monday, said Long Guoqiang, deputy director of the Development Research Center of the State Council.

Themed "China in the New Five Year Plan", the forum will focus on key issues, such as whether China can meet its growth target range of 6.5 to 7 percent for 2016, how China will accelerate economy restructuring, and how to tap into the investment opportunities from China's Belt and Road Initiative.

Mark Fields, CEO of Ford Motor Co; Ben van Beurden, CEO of Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, as well as Jack Ma, founder and chairman of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, are among those scheduled to attend.

Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the Chinese central bank and other ministerial-level officials will also show up to talk with foreign CEOs.

Initiated in 2000, the forum is a platform for foreign business and academic leaders to interact with China's top decision makers and economic planners.