From globalism to Greta: top quotes at Davos

Here are some of the top quotes from the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on Wednesday, where appeals to guard against rising populism melded with a teenage climate crusader speaking truth to power.

“The Chinese and US economies are mutually indispensable.” — Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan amid a trade war between the world’s two largest economies.

“I think it is insane that people are gathered here to talk about the climate and they arrive here in a private jet.” — Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old Swedish teenager whose campaign against global warming is inspiring the world’s youth, on her arrival in Davos.

“Capitalism is not immoral, it’s amoral.” — U2 frontman Bono, a Davos regular, providing his usual dose of rock-n-roll rebellion to the forum’s jet set at a panel with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and IMF chief Christine Lagarde.

“Sovereignty belongs to the people.” — The only sentence spoken in Italian by Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte during a speech in English, in which he defended his populist government’s economic policies, which are worrying the markets and European Union.

“The way you can describe Davos is that it is an attempt to rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic while humanity is sinking.” — Amnesty International secretary general Kumi Naidoo in an interview with AFP, echoing the doubts of critics about the rationale for the WEF.

“By coming to Davos, you don’t have to kiss the golden calf. I don’t do that.” — EU Economics Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici pushes back on talk that attending the forum is to celebrate the rich and powerful.

“I don’t think there is any other get-together more powerful than Davos, and more inclusive than Davos.” — Abdullah Abdullah, the de facto prime minister of Afghanistan, defending the WEF in an AFP interview as he pitched for investment in his war-torn country.