Bill Gates in China to meet with development partners

Bill Gates was in China on Thursday to meet with global health and development partners, following a string of recent visits to the Asian giant by US business titans.

"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 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) for more than 15 years," Gates wrote on Twitter late Wednesday.

"Solving problems like climate change, health inequity and food insecurity requires innovation," Gates added. "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 is one of a number of Western executives to visit China since the country ended COVID controls.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon visited China earlier this month, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, another tech billionaire, traveled to the country in late May, his first visit in more than three years.

In March, Apple CEO Tim Cook visited Beijing, saying his company enjoyed a "symbiotic" relationship with China.

The CEOs of other major multinational companies, including Starbucks and General Motors, have also recently made trips to the country and met with officials.