According to Chinese state media cited by the BBC, Xi told Gates he was “the first American friend” he had met in Beijing this year. Since January, Tesla’s Elon Musk, Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan, and Apple’s Tim Cook have all traveled to the country, but Gates is the first to secure a one-on-one meeting with the President.
“I believe that the foundation of Sino-U.S. relations lies in the people,” Xi reportedly said to Gates. “Under the current world situation, we can carry out various activities that benefit our two countries, the people of our countries, and the entire human race.” Xi gave no details of what transpired in their closed-door meeting but emphasized the potential benefits of cooperation that disputes over human rights, Taiwan, security, and technology have hampered.
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Gates told Xi he was “very honored” to meet him, noting his last journey to the country was in 2019. The visits by leading foreign business people have coincided with efforts by the ruling Communist Party to revive investor interest in China’s slowing economy. Despite his upbeat remarks, Xi accused Washington in March of trying to hold back China’s development with restrictions on access to U.S. microchips and other technology.
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Meanwhile, the agricultural industry in America struggles to deal with Beijing’s increasingly aggressive pushes into the industry. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to arrive in China on Sunday for a two-day visit. According to AP, he will be the first secretary of state to visit China since 2018 and is expected to meet with Foreign Minister Qin Gang and possibly with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
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