Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is set to have a significant encounter with Chinese President Xi Jinping as they meet on Friday, according to state media reports.
State broadcaster CCTV announced, “On June 16, President Xi Jinping will meet in Beijing with Bill Gates, head of the Gates Foundation.”
Gates, renowned as one of the world’s wealthiest individuals, joins a list of Western business leaders who have visited China since the nation lifted strict Covid controls, ending its near-three-year seclusion from the world.
This visit marks Gates’ first trip to the country in four years, signifying the importance of the occasion.
On Thursday, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation revealed its commitment of $50 million to support Chinese efforts in combating malaria and tuberculosis. This announcement coincided with Gates’ meetings with global health and development partners in Beijing.
The Gates Foundation announced the renewal of collaboration with the Global Health Drug Discovery Institute, an organization established by Gates, the Beijing municipal government, and Tsinghua University.
The $50 million contribution aims to enhance health outcomes worldwide by focusing on life-saving therapies for infectious diseases like tuberculosis and malaria, which disproportionately affect the most impoverished populations, as stated by the Gates Foundation.
During his visit to GHDDI, Gates delivered a speech applauding China’s achievements in eradicating malaria and reducing poverty.
He expressed hope that China would play a more substantial role in addressing present challenges, especially those faced by African countries.
Notably, JPMorgan Chase CEO, Jamie Dimon visited China last month, and Tesla CEO, Elon Musk made his first visit in over three years.
Musk, with extensive business interests in China, held meetings with senior officials in Beijing and paid a late-night visit to Tesla’s Gigafactory on the outskirts of Shanghai to engage with the staff.
In March, Apple CEO Tim Cook also traveled to Beijing, emphasizing the mutually beneficial relationship between Apple and China.
