CDF Voice｜Christian Mumenthaler: At the heart of any such great transformational endeavor is "resilience"

The “CDF Voice” column aims to bring together business leaders and convey the voices of the forum delegates.

Since its launch in 2000, CDF have upheld its mandate of “Engaging with the world for common prosperity”.

At present, the economic recovery is still fragile, and the impact of the COVID-19 and geopolitical crisis is continuing. Although China’s economic recovery is improving, lackluster demand, slow recovery in labor market and global supply chain adjustments and other pressures are still present.

The world is experiencing unprecedented change, how do foreign enterprises in China view China's development? How can foreign enterprises grasp the opportunities and challenges in the Chinese market? What insights do they have about China's future economic recovery and social development?

As the 2023 annual meeting of the China Development Forum is about to be held, the "CDF Voice" column invites representatives of global enterprises to discuss the above topics.

The guest of CDF Voice today is Christian Mumenthaler, Group Chief Executive Officer of Swiss Re.

I am delighted to be able to attend the China Development Forum in the Year of the Rabbit, and for the first time in a while be there in person again. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a prosperous year ahead. I understand that in China the rabbit is viewed as an auspicious sign, symbolizing kindness, agility, cleverness, and peace. I am sure you will agree that those are the standards we should all try to live by wherever we are. It's great to be able to travel to China again, and I am really looking forward to meeting with many of our stakeholders and our employees. I firmly believe that such interactions and exchanges between China and the global business community can only be of benefit for the whole world.

China has embarked on a great journey of modernization with great opportunities both in terms of economic growth as well as business development. At the heart of any such great transformational endeavor is "resilience". That means being prepared for crisis situations, having the ability to recover and face new challenges and to preserve what is valuable while innovating. Even more importantly, it means being open for collaboration to address the issues we all face, and in doing so help to make our world and our society more resilient.

As one of the leading reinsurers in the world, Swiss Re also needs to be resilient and able to adapt quickly. These strengths enable us to provide a whole range of products and services, from re/insurance protection through to insights and expertise for the benefit of our Chinese clients and partners. As one of the first foreign reinsurers in China, we take great pride in our longstanding relationships and remain strongly committed to this dynamic market.

Finally, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the China Development Forum for the invaluable work you do to help build understanding, identify common ground, and foster cooperation and trust. Thank you for continuing to host this wonderful event. With that, I wish the China Development Forum 2023 great success and look forward to seeing you all very soon in Beijing! Thank you!