Xi meets Gates

Xi Jinping meets with Bill Gates, co-chairman of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation of the United States

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, June 16 – On June 16, President Xi Jinping met with Bill Gates, co-chairman of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation of the United States in Beijing.

Xi Jinping expressed appreciation for Gates and his foundation’s long-term commitment to promoting global poverty reduction, health, development and public welfare and charity. Xi Jinping emphasized that at present, the world’s major changes unseen in a century are accelerating. He has put forward the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative, with the purpose of providing Chinese solutions to global challenges. China first focuses on solving its own problems well. As a large country with a population of more than 1.4 billion, China’s long-term stability and sustainable development will be a major contribution to world peace, stability and prosperity. We must consolidate the achievements of poverty alleviation, realize rural revitalization, and continuously improve the health level of rural areas.

Xi Jinping emphasized that China is committed to comprehensively promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-style modernization. We will never follow the old path of a strong country seeking hegemony, but will work with other countries to achieve common development and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. China is willing to carry out extensive scientific and technological innovation cooperation with all countries in the world, and actively participate in and promote global challenges such as climate change, epidemic prevention and public health. China is willing to continue to strengthen cooperation with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in relevant fields, and provide support and assistance within its capacity to other developing countries.

Xi Jinping said to Gates, you are the first American friend I met in Beijing this year. The world is coming out of the novel coronavirus epidemic, people should travel more, communicate more, and enhance understanding. I often say that the foundation of Sino-US relations lies in the people. We always place our hopes on the American people and hope that the friendship between the two peoples will continue.

Gates introduced the progress of cooperation with China and future plans, saying that China had made remarkable achievements in poverty reduction and response to the novel coronavirus epidemic, setting a good example for the world. In recent years, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and China have carried out good cooperation and achieved remarkable progress. China’s accelerated innovation and development is beneficial to China, to developing countries, and to the world. The foundation is committed to further strengthening cooperation with China in areas such as innovation, global poverty reduction, public health, drug research and development, and rural agriculture, and promoting successful experiences and technologies to developing countries.

Wang Yi, Qin Gang and others attended the meeting.