As thousands of political, economic and social leaders from around the world gather in the Swiss resort of Davos for the annual conference of the World Economic Forum (WEF), which kicked off in person on Monday for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out three years ago, a slew of challenges confronts the global economy, including high inflation, geopolitical tensions, as well as an escalating assault led by the US on the economic globalization agenda that Davos epitomizes.