The visit, reported by the Reuters news agency, is rather unusual. After all, it’s not often that Xi finds the time to receive guests who aren’t heads of state or government. Tesla’s Elon Musk and Apple’s Tim Cook recently visited China, but did not receive an invitation to Zhongnanhai, China’s political headquarters.
“Bill Gates knows that if you want to make the world better, you also have to do business with dictatorships.”
Why this honor is reserved for Bill Gates is also unclear to China expert Fred Sengers. But by hosting the best foreign entrepreneurs, China is proving it’s open for business again, he says. “Because the economy is faltering and there is a lot of uncertainty about the future.”
Antony Blinken in Beijing
But there is also a geopolitical dimension. “It has to do with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s long-awaited visit to China next weekend.” According to Sengers, by receiving these American entrepreneurs, China sends a signal that the American government may be critical of China, but that American entrepreneurs think very differently. “Who find China important to do business with and invest in.”
The fact that Gates is a human rights defender should not clash with his visit to Beijing, according to the Chinese expert. As a philanthropist, Gates focuses on developing countries with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. These are often not democracies. He knows that you have to do business even with dictatorships if you want to improve the world ».
climate policy
According to Gates himself, the two will talk about climate policy and the fight against inequalities and food security. “And maybe even about Africa,” says Sengers. ‘After his visit, Gates will fly to West Africa, where China is also an increasingly important player. Gates has been collaborating with Chinese partners on health and development issues for fifteen years.”