Xi Jinping called Bill Gates an “old friend” and said he hoped that in the first meeting in years between a Chinese president and a foreign entrepreneur, they might work together to work together for the good thing about each China and the United States.
During a gathering at Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, where Chinese leaders have historically hosted high-level foreign guests, Xi told the Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist he was very glad to see him after three years, and described Gates as the first American friend he met this 12 months.
“I even have often said that the foundation of US-China relations is their people. I put my hopes in the American people,” Xi said in a video released by state-run CCTV.
“Because of the current global situation, we will perform various activities that profit our two countries and folks, activities that profit all humanity,” he said.
Gates, who arrived in Beijing on Wednesday, told Xi he was “honoured” to satisfy.
“We’ve at all times had great conversations and today we will have many essential topics to debate. I used to be very upset that I could not are available the last 4 years, so it’s totally exciting to come back back.
Xi stopped traveling abroad for nearly three years as China closed its borders during the pandemic, and his international meetings since reopening have mostly been with foreign leaders.
His plans to satisfy Gates were first reported by Reuters.
Many CEOs have visited China because it reopened earlier this 12 months, but most have met with government ministers.
Gates stepped down from the Microsoft board in 2020 to concentrate on philanthropic work related to global health, education and climate change.
The last reported meeting between Xi and Gates was in 2015, after they met on the sidelines of the Boao forum in Hainan province.
In early 2020, Xi wrote a letter to Gates thanking him and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for pledging to assist China, including $5 million to assist the country fight COVID-19.
NOT AIMING FOR HEGEMONY
The mood of the foreign business community towards China has modified he became cautious as Sino-American tensions intensify and Xi increases the country’s emphasis on national security.
Gates’ visit comes ahead of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s long-delayed visit to China, geared toward stabilizing relations between the world’s two largest economies and strategic rivals.
Blinken had tense call with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Wednesday, during which Qin urged the United States to stop meddling in its affairs and harming its security.
During a gathering with Gates, Xi said China wouldn’t follow the old path of “a robust country striving for hegemony,” but would work with other countries to realize common development, in accordance with the People’s Every day newspaper.
China often accuses the United States of in search of hegemony.
Along with meeting Xi, Gates gave a speech at the Global Health Drug Discovery Institute during his visit about the need to make use of technology to unravel global health problems.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Beijing Municipality, which co-founded the institute with Tsinghua University, also pledged $50 million each to reinforce the institute’s drug discovery capability.