On May 29, 2012, Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping met with Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation at the Great Hall of the People.
Xi said currently China and the United States are actively advancing the building of their cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and mutual benefit in accordance with the consensus reached by the two heads of state, and their bilateral cooperation is flourishing in a wide range of areas. He added that the development of the partnership between China and the United States not only benefits the people of the two nations, but also helps to promote the peace and development of the world at large. Xi told Gates that he appreciates the organization's enduring dedication to and support for improving the health and living conditions of human beings. He also applauded the foundation's commitment to eliminating poverty and preventing and treating diseases globally, as well as its mutually beneficial cooperation with Chinese partners in areas including health care, agriculture and technology. The Vice President said he hopes that the foundation and its Chinese partners will effectively implement their cooperative projects, explore and innovate effective means of cooperation, improve cooperation mechanisms and complement each other's advantages. The two sides should make full use of various resources and channels, strengthen scientific and technological innovation and application, and play an active role in improving the medical situation in China and other developing countries in the world, according to Xi.
Gates agreed that the sound cooperative relationship between the two countries is of great significance globally. The foundation is actively engaged in global health and development projects and attaches importance to cooperation with China. The foundation will work together with its Chinese partners to carry out the projects in China and contribute to disease prevention and control as well as health care, he promised.
Minister of Health Chen Zhu and other officials attended the meeting.
