Leaders, CEOs to ponder shifting economic landscape(2)

Energy independence

Maintaining the forum's strong focus on China throughout the second day, DuPont will present the panel "Can China be Energy Independent?"

Due to the growth of its available oil reserves and new access to natural gas, the US could soon become energy independent of the Middle East for the first time. China might have even bigger shale gas reserves than the US and the nation's clean energy industry has recently emerged from a major reshuffle.

Looking ahead, the panel will examine issues like whether or not China will ever be capable of producing enough reliable energy to be self-sufficient. It will explore paths to achieving energy independence with an eye toward air quality challenges.

Confirmed panelists are Matt Fox, executive vice-president of exploration and production at ConocoPhillips, and Felix Zhang, co-founder and president of Envision Energy.

Emerging markets

In the afternoon, there will be a talk titled "What's Ahead for Emerging Markets?"

Over the last decade, the majority of growth has occurred in the so-called BRICS nations-- Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. However, this boom has started to show signs of slowing.

What is the outlook for these economies, and can they sustain growth?

Who are the new leaders, and how can multinational corporations capitalize on these increasingly important markets?

John Faraci, chairman and CEO of International Paper Co; Joseph Jimenez, CEO of Novartis; Peter Sands, group chief executive of Standard Chartered; and Michael Smith, CEO of ANZ Bank, will try to answer these questions.

IP protection

Moderated by Kenneth Lieberthal of the Brookings Institution, a discussion titled "Can Intellectual Property be Kept Safe?" will be held to examine new IP challenges in an increasingly globalized world.

Confirmed panelists are Tony Chen, partner and head of China intellectual property litigation at the Jones Day law firm, and Christopher Dodd, chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America; and Zheng Xiaolong, a Chinese writer, director and producer.

Social media

The next panel will be "How Social Media is Changing Business".

China has more than 500 million Internet users, twice the number of wired Americans. Chinese users reportedly spend 46 minutes a day visiting social media sites, and this is changing how society does everything from viewing the news to shopping.

How is social media changing China, and what are the new opportunities?

What can Western tech companies learn from their counterparts in the East?

Tim Armstrong, chairman and CEO of AOL; Charles Chao, president and CEO of Sina; and Dele Liu, president of Youku Tudou will share their views.

Going global

Attendees will also participate in "Global Go-to-Market Strategies".

Building a strong global business can take decades and cost billions of dollars in investments. There is much debate about how to go global, including such questions as:

Is it more profitable to be in every country or to focus on a handful of key markets?

As a growing number of Chinese and emerging market companies enter international markets, what strategies are likely to work best?

What new technologies and business models are on the horizon to facilitate this process?

Confirmed panelists are Carlos Brito, CEO of Anheuser-Busch InBev; Pankaj Ghemawat, Anselmo Rubiralta Professor of Global Strategy at the IESE Business School in Barcelona; and Li Shufu, founder and CEO of Zhejiang Geely.

Relaxing evening

After a day of intense debate and discussions, attendees will retire to Kuanzhaixiangzi, a local scenic spot, for a reception, dinner and nightcap.

Hosted by the government of Sichuan province and the city of Chengdu, guests will enjoy an extraordinary evening in historic Kuanzhaixiangzi.

It is a place that blends the architecture and ambience of old Chengdu with modern style and energy.