The China Development Forum 2006 was held at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on March 18-20, 2006.

The seventh annual forum, themed "China: Promoting Economic Development and Social Harmony", was sponsored by China's Development Research Center of the State Council (DRC).

During the forum, participants carried out in-depth discussions and research on five issues: the 11th Five-Year Plan, reform and development in education, labor market development and social security, public finance and social harmony, and rural development and urbanization.

The forum attracted 40 presidents and CEOs from foreign enterprises such as FedEx, HSBC, GM, AIG, Exxon Mobil, Citibank and Shell Group. It also welcomed scholars and representatives from organizations such as the Asian Development Bank, OECD, the National Bureau of Economic Research of the United States, Columbia University and University of Cambridge.

Other participants included such senior Chinese government officials as Ma Kai, chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC); Zhou Ji, minister of education; Xu Guanhua, minister of science and technology; Tian Chengping, minister of labor and social security; Wang Mengkui, president of the DRC; Lou Jiwei, vice-minister of finance; Liu He, vice-head of the Office of the Central Leading Group on Finance and Economic Affairs; and Chen Yuan, president of the National Development Bank.

After the forum, Wen Jiabao, acting premier of the PRC at the time, cordially met with the foreign delegates. He listened to their comments and suggestions on China's development.