According to Chinese national television, Xi Jinping and Bill Gates met on June 16. There, the Chinese President called Gates a friend.
“I have always said that the foundation of China-US relations lies in the people,” Xi added. “We always put our trust in the American people and hope that the people of both countries will continue to be friends.”
Mr. Xi said China is willing to carry out in-depth scientific and technological innovation cooperation with all countries, proactively participate in and respond to global challenges such as climate change, epidemics, and public health.
Beijing's top diplomat Wang Yi and Foreign Minister Qin Gang also attended the meeting.
Previously, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Beijing city government agreed to donate $50 million each to fight infectious diseases such as malaria. The money will go to the Global Health Drug Discovery Institute, a non-profit organization founded in 2016 by the Gates Foundation, Beijing and Tsinghua University, focusing on developing new drugs to treat infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria, helping the world's poorest people.
In a June 15 speech at the institute, Gates congratulated China for beating back malaria. He also praised the country's scientists for fighting the disease globally. The billionaire also met with Beijing Mayor Yin Yong on the same day. Yin acknowledged the institute's breakthroughs in recent years and pledged continued support.
On Twitter, Gates expressed his joy at visiting partners working together on global health development efforts.
The Microsoft co-founder is one of the most prominent foreign business leaders welcomed into China. Microsoft is also among the few Western tech giants to maintain a presence there, while companies like Google and Facebook are banned. The company operates an influential research center in the world’s second-largest economy.
Gates has a good relationship with China's leader. In early 2000, Xi personally sent him a letter thanking him for sending emergency funding to the country to fight Covid-19.
Gates’s trip continues a recent string of visits by international business leaders to China. Last month, the CEOs of Tesla, JPMorgan, and Starbucks flew to the country and met with senior executives. Previously, officials from Apple, Samsung, Aramco, and Volkswagen also visited.
(According to Bloomberg, CNN, Reuters)
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