World Economic Forum: Davos 2010

The feeling that economic power is shifting from West to East permeated Davos, and at the core of that was China. The country sent its largest delegation ever, including the head of China's biggest investment bank, the deputy governor of its central bank and vice premier Li Keqiang, who gave a keynote speech. In that speech, Li said that in coming years China would open up its market of more than 1 billion consumers by breaking up monopolies and encouraging competition. Already the government is encouraging its citizens to buy more as the nation strives to shift away from export-led growth. That, said Li, would ""provide huge opportunities for the whole world." Indeed, at Davos, the potential of China captured conversations on topics ranging from M&A banking to green technology.