(Yicai Global) June 15 -- Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has arrived in Beijing for his first visit to China in four years.

His itinerary is still unknown, as the Gates Foundation has not yet responded to Yicai Global’s inquiries, but according to insiders he will have meetings with high-level Chinese leaders.

“I’ve just landed in Beijing for the first time since 2019, where I’m excited to visit with partners who have been working on global health and development challenges with the Gates Foundation for more than 15 years,” Gates said late yesterday on Twitter and on Weibo in Chinese.

“Solving problems like climate change, health inequity and food insecurity requires innovation,” Gates said in a further tweet. “From developing malaria drugs to investing in climate adaptation, China has a lot of experience in that. We need to unlock that kind of progress for more people around the world.”

Gates stepped down as Microsoft’s chairman in 2014 and left the US tech giant’s board in 2020 to focus on philanthropic work related to global health, education, and climate change.

He visited China in 2015 and met with Chinese leaders during the Boao Forum for Asia the same year. With the Covid-19 outbreak in early 2020, the Gates Foundation provided assistance to China, including donating USD5 million to fight the pandemic.

Gates follows Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and other high-profile US business leaders in visiting China since the country lifted travel restrictions this year.

Editor: Futura Costaglione