Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met with Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in Beijing. Xi Jinping referred to Gates as an "old friend" and said he hoped they could carry out activities together -- beneficial to both China and the United States.
Xi reportedly told the Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist that he was very happy to see him after three years and described Gates as the first American friend he had met this year.
He said the foundation of US-China relations lies with its people, Reuters reported citing a video published by state broadcaster CCTV. "I place my hopes on the American people," Xi stated.
"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," he said.
Bill Gates on Wednesday arrived in Beijing after a gap of three years. "I’ve just landed in Beijing for the first time since 2019, where I’m excited to visit with partners who have been working on global health and development challenges with @gatesfoundation for more than 15 years," he tweeted.
"Solving problems like climate change, health inequity and food insecurity requires innovation. From developing malaria drugs to investing in climate adaptation, China has a lot of experience in that. We need to unlock that kind of progress for more people around the world," the tweet read further.
According to the Reuters report, Gates told Xi that he was "honoured" to have the chance to meet. "We've always had great conversations and we'll have 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," he said.
Bill Gates and Xi Jinping had last met in 2015 on the sidelines of the Boao forum in Hainan province. In early 2020, Xi reportedly wrote a letter to Gates thanking him and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for pledging assistance to China, including $5 million for the country's fight against Covid-19.
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