In this Jan 17, 2017 file photo, President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech at the opening plenary of the 2017 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

President Xi Jinping will deliver an important speech at a virtual event to be attended by world leaders next week, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Tuesday.

The five-day Davos Agenda event of the World Economic Forum, starting Monday, will be attended by over 1,500 business, government and civil society leaders from more than 70 countries.

It would be Xi's second participation in the forum as Chinese president following his most recent appearance in January 2017, when Xi reaffirmed China's firm stance on promoting economic globalization and further promoting opening-up.

The five-day Davos Agenda event of the World Economic Forum, starting Monday, will be attended by over 1,500 business, government and civil society leaders from more than 70 countries

Titled "A Crucial Year to Rebuild Trust", the event will focus on such topics as the economic, environmental, social and technological challenges following the COVID-19 pandemic, the WEF said on Monday.

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Apart from Xi, other world leaders will also attend, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the WEF, said at a virtual press conference on Monday facing the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to reset priorities and reform systems has been growing stronger around the world.

The year 2021 will be a crucial year, when mankind will have to continue to engage in the fight against COVID-19 and the need for more resilient, inclusive and sustainable economics will be more urgent, he noted.

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