Several cities keen to host the forum have contacted the WEF's Beijing office since February, when Zhang Xiaoqiang, vice-director of the National Development and Reform Commission, the nation's top planning body, signed an agreement with Klaus Schwab, WEF's founder and executive chairman, to hold the Summer Davos in China.

Last month, Schneider and his colleagues shortlisted their proposals and carried out site visits. They will evaluate each proposal against a number of criteria to assess the suitability of each potential host city. Factors they will look at include the standard of the main venue, hotels, transport services and prior experience hosting international events.

Schneider said Dalian and Tianjin were chosen based on his team's assessments and the professionalism and enthusiasm of the cities' representatives.

He said China's rapid economic growth was helping drive increasing global trade flows and shifting the world's economic and geopolitical focus to Asia.

"A continuation of China's tremendous growth makes the country both a source for and target of the world's emerging global champions," Schneider said. "Considering the current climate China is clearly the ideal location to bring all these companies together."

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