The Inaugural Annual Meeting of The New Champions, in session now in Dalian, Liaoning Province, is illustrative of the peculiar chemistry between world economic leaders and a dynamic China.

We have no doubt about the northeastern coastal city's attractions to be the summer home of the prestigious World Economic Forum. There is fine infrastructure, a pleasant seaside environment, and everything a major international convention requires.

But Dalian was chosen not just for its charm. As Premier Wen Jiabao put it, the choice is a result of the world's growing interest in China.

Finding a summer home in China is good for the Forum. Since it prides itself as one of the most important international venues for discourse about real-world economic concerns, and fewer and fewer such topics can sidestep the China factor, there is no better way to more directly engage China.

China's appeal to entrepreneurs is obvious - the opportunities and potential are too tremendous to be ignored.

As a transitional economy with a rare mixture of the old and new, advanced and primitive, China is also a precious specimen for economic studies. The new dimensions of development here challenge the world's top economists to refresh our stock of economic knowledge. Unraveling the China riddles may offer valuable insight for the developing world's pursuit of prosperity.

By hosting the so-called Summer Davos, Dalian wants to be more visible on the international horizon. But there is more to exploit from the gathering. And the impact can be bigger.

The Forum is a wonderful brainstorming session for local participants, be they policymakers, scholars or entrepreneurs. It would be a pity if they do not take full advantage of it.

After leading world economic growth for decades, we have a lot of new situations to address. Our pattern of growth, for instance, is a thorny problem calling for meticulous planning. Comparing notes with international counterparts will not only resolve some of the worries and misgivings, but also help us find the right direction.

Such wisdom may be worth more than any business deal.

(China Daily September 7, 2007)