16-6-2023 (BEIJING) Chinese President Xi Jinping referred to Bill Gates as “an old friend” during their recent meeting, expressing his hope for joint activities that would benefit both China and the United States. This marked Xi’s first meeting with a foreign entrepreneur in years.
The meeting took place at Beijing’s Diaoyutai state guesthouse, a venue traditionally used by China’s leaders to receive esteemed foreign guests. Xi conveyed his happiness at seeing the Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist after three years, describing Gates as his first American friend of the year.
In a video released by state broadcaster CCTV, Xi remarked, “I often say the foundation of US-China relations lies with its people. I place my hopes on the American people.” He continued, “With the current global situation, we can carry out various activities beneficial to our two countries and people, activities that benefit humanity as a whole.”
Gates, who arrived in Beijing on June 14, expressed his honor at the opportunity to meet with Xi. He stated, “We’ve always had great conversations, and we’ll have a lot of important topics to discuss today. I was very disappointed I couldn’t come during the last four years, so it’s very exciting to be back.”
Xi refrained from international travel for nearly three years due to pandemic-related border closures. Since resuming travel, his meetings have primarily been with other state leaders. Reuters first reported the plans for his meeting with Gates.
While several CEOs have visited China since its reopening earlier this year, most have met with government ministers.
In 2020, Gates stepped down from Microsoft’s board to focus on philanthropic endeavors related to global health, education, and climate change.
The last reported meeting between Xi and Gates took place in 2015 on the sidelines of the Boao Forum in Hainan province. In early 2020, Xi wrote a letter expressing gratitude to Gates and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for their assistance, including a pledge of $5 million for China’s fight against COVID-19.
As tensions between China and the United States intensify and Xi emphasizes national security, the foreign business community has grown cautious. Gates’ visit precedes a long-delayed trip by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to China, aimed at stabilizing relations between the world’s two largest economies and strategic rivals.
During his meeting with Gates, Xi conveyed China’s commitment to not following the path of a “strong country seeking hegemony.” Instead, he emphasized China’s intention to collaborate with other nations to achieve common development, according to the People’s Daily newspaper. China frequently accuses the United States of pursuing hegemony.
In addition to meeting Xi, Gates delivered a speech at the Global Health Drug Discovery Institute, highlighting the need to utilize technology in addressing global health challenges during his visit.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, along with the Beijing municipal government and Tsinghua University, pledged $50 million each to strengthen the institute’s drug discovery capabilities.
