Microsoft's co-founder Bill Gates will reportedly meet China's Xi this week

Microsoft's co-founder Bill Gates volition beryllium gathering Chinese President Xi Jinping connected Friday, Reuters reported Wednesday citing 2 sources acquainted with the matter.

The gathering volition beryllium Xi's archetypal with a overseas CEO successful caller years, the study said, arsenic the Chinese person stopped travelling overseas for astir 3 years aft China unopen its borders during the pandemic.

It could beryllium a one-on-one meeting, Reuters said without revealing details connected what they mightiness discuss.

CNBC reached retired to China's ministry of overseas affairs but did not perceive backmost astatine the clip of publication.

The 2 men met successful 2015 connected the sidelines of the Boao forum, a gathering for governmental and concern leaders, held successful Hainan province. They discussed views connected enhancing nationalist wellness work and poorness reduction, according to China's overseas ministry.

Gates tweeted Wednesday, saying helium had landed successful Beijing to "visit with partners who person been moving connected planetary wellness and improvement challenges" for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It is his archetypal sojourn since 2019.

The billionaire stepped down as Microsoft's committee seat successful March 2020 to "dedicate much clip to his philanthropic priorities including planetary health, development, education, and his expanding engagement successful tackling clime change." He near his full-time enforcement relation at Microsoft in 2008.

Gates' sojourn comes up of a long-awaited travel by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to China this weekend, aimed astatine stabilizing relations betwixt the 2 largest economies successful the world.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and Blinken spoke Wednesday and "discussed the value of maintaining unfastened lines of communication" successful bid to negociate the U.S.-China narration and "avoid miscalculation and conflict," the U.S. State Department said.

Other overseas tech leaders — specified arsenic Apple CEO Tim Cook and Tesla CEO Elon Musk — person met with Chinese ministers successful caller months.

In March, Cook met China's curate of commerce Wang Wentao to sermon China's reopening and broader proviso concatenation issues. Musk met with Chinese vice premier Ding Xuexiang and different apical officials successful China successful May, arsenic Beijing looks to represent a affable concern situation for overseas companies amid tensions with the U.S. government.