Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday, according to state media. Gates, one of the world’s richest men, is one of a handful of Western corporate heavyweights to visit China since the nation lifted draconian Covid regulations that had kept it mostly isolated from the rest of the world for nearly three years.
This is his first trip to the nation in four years.
Official television CCTV reported that –
“On June 16, President Xi Jinping will meet with Bill Gates, chairman of the Gates Foundation,”
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said Thursday that it will contribute $50 million to Chinese efforts to combat malaria and TB, as the Microsoft co-founder talks with global health and development partners in Beijing.
The foundation stated that it will extend its partnership with the Global Health Drug Discovery Institute (GHDDI), a Beijing-based organisation founded by Gates, the Beijing city government, and Tsinghua University.
The Gates Foundation stated in a statement that the $50 million will help –
“efforts to improve health outcomes worldwide through lifesaving therapies for infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria, which disproportionately affect the world’s poorest”.
According to the Gates Foundation, Bill Gates delivered a lecture at GHDDI on Thursday, applauding China’s efforts to eradicate malaria and reduce poverty.
Gates stated-
“China has made significant gains in reducing poverty and improving health outcomes within China,” Gates said.
“I’m hopeful China can play an even bigger role in addressing the current challenges, particularly those facing African countries.”
JPMorgan Chase CEO, Jamie Dimon, and Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, both visited China this month. This visit was the first time in more than three years.
Musk, who has major commercial interests in China, met with senior authorities in Beijing. He also paid a late-night visit to Tesla’s Gigafactory on the outskirts of Shanghai.
In March, Apple CEO Tim Cook visited Beijing, saying his company enjoyed a “symbiotic” relationship with China.
cc: Punch Ng
