The upcoming 2018 China Development Forum will be "a platform for China to tell the world what its people are doing and thinking," said Lu Mai, vice chairman and secretary general of the China Development Research Foundation (CDRF), during a press conference at the Development Research Center of the State Council (DRC) in Beijing on Wednesday.

The forum takes place each year following China's annual "two sessions"--the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. 

As the host, the CDRF--one of the country's top think tanks--invites heads of global corporations and renowned international academics to participate in official dialogues and panel discussions with Chinese policymakers, business leaders and scholars.

This year's event will convene at Beijing's Diaoyutai State Guesthouse on March 24-26, and will be co-chaired by Li Wei, president of the DRC, and Tim Cook, CEO of Apple Inc.

At a press conference announcing the forum, Lu said he hopes the event will help clear up some misconceptions about China.

"With China's economy growing into the second-largest in the world, while becoming increasingly influential globally, there have been misconceptions, but also hostilities toward China in the international community, especially in public statements by some U.S. politicians," Lu said. "Therefore, the China Development Forum is a very important platform for dialogue and exchange."

He added that the forum does not place emphasis on debate, but rather on dialogue to promote understanding.

At the press conference, DRC Vice President Zhang Laiming briefed reporters on the forum's theme, "China in the New Era." Lu followed up by introducing the various topics slated for the event's panel discussions, as well as the invited speakers.

Headlining panels include "China's Reform and Opening-up: 40 Years On," "China-U.S. Relations in the New Era" and "Climate Change and Carbon Trading."

Lu will chair one of the panels, "Addressing the Challenge of Global Inequality," with speakers BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and Apple CEO Tim Cook. 

"Finance and technology are two great forces affecting economic inequality and the widening of the income gap in today's world," Lu said. "It will be very interesting to learn how these two leaders in their respective fields see this issue."