15.06.2023
Microsoft founder Bill Gates may meet Xi Jinping during his visit to China. If the relevant reports are true, this will be Xi Jinping’s first meeting with foreign private entrepreneurs in recent years. What interactions did the two have?
(Deutsche Welle Chinese Network) Reuters reported on Wednesday (June 14) that Bill Gates may meet Xi Jinping during his visit to China. Gates is making his first visit to China in three years. Late at night on the 14th, Gates said on Twitter that he had landed in Beijing and that he would visit a partner unit of his foundation “Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation” (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation).
Reuters quoted two people familiar with the matter as saying that Gates may have a one-on-one meeting with Xi Jinping during this trip, but did not disclose what the two might discuss; another third source confirmed to Reuters the meeting between the two, But no details were provided.
Neither the foundation nor China’s State Council Information Office immediately responded to Reuters’ requests for comment.
According to Reuters, if this is true, it will be Xi Jinping’s first meeting with foreign private entrepreneurs and business leaders in recent years. During the epidemic, Xi Jinping stopped going abroad for nearly three years due to China’s border controls.
Since the reopening of China’s borders at the beginning of this year, several foreign executives have visited China, but most of them have only met with Chinese ministers. In March this year, Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with a group of foreign companies such as Apple’s Tim Cook. CEO; Reuters also reported a few days ago that Tesla CEO Elon Musk met with Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang at the end of May.
Musk met with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in late May.
As one of the co-founders of Microsoft, Gates resigned from his full-time position at the company in 2008. After stepping down from Microsoft’s board of directors in 2020, he focused on philanthropic work related to global health, education and climate change.
Reuters pointed out that the last time Xi Jinping and Gates met was during the Boao Forum in 2015; in early 2020, Gates’ foundation promised a series of aid to China, including $5 million in funds to fight COVID-19. For this, I wrote to Gates to express my gratitude.
Immediately after Gates, US Secretary of State Blinken (Antony Blinken) will also go to China from June 18 to 19 for a long-postponed visit to stabilize the ongoing tension between China and the United States.
(Reuters, etc.)
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