Bill Gates to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates arrived in China on Wednesday for the first time since 2019, where he is expected to hold a one-on-one meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The meeting is likely to take place on Friday, and the agenda for the meeting remains unknown. Gates said on Twitter on Wednesday that he would meet with partners who have been working to address global health and development challenges at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Gates stepped down from Microsoft’s board in 2020 to focus on philanthropic work related to global health, education and climate change. He resigned from his executive position with the company back in 2008.

Xi Jinping meets with foreign entrepreneurs for the first time in many years

Gates’ meeting with Xi will mark the end of a long period of Xi’s avoidance of meeting with foreign private entrepreneurs and business leaders, largely due to travel restrictions imposed by China amid the pandemic.

According to reports, Xi Jinping and Gates last met in 2015 at the Boao Forum in Hainan province. However, in early 2020, Xi Jinping thanked Gates and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for their pledge of assistance to China in its fight against COVID-19, including a $5 million donation.

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While several foreign chief executives have visited the country since the country reopened earlier this year, their meetings have mostly been with government officials. For example, Premier Li Qiang met with a group of foreign CEOs in March, including Apple’s Tim Cook, and Tesla’s Elon Musk reportedly met with Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang last month.

White House not keeping the loop?

Regarding Gates’ visit, White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre said she had limited information and was not sure whether Gates had contact with the US government, or vice versa. She mentioned that Gates would personally provide details about his trip.

Gates’ visit comes ahead of a long-awaited visit to China by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken scheduled for June 18-19. The purpose of Blinken’s visit is to stabilize relations between the world’s two largest economies, which also happen to be strategic rivals. During Blinken’s tense phone call with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Wednesday, Qin urged the United States not to interfere in Chinese affairs and undermine China’s security.