co-founder of Microsoft Corp. Bill Gates He says he is in Beijing, joining a number of foreign business figures who have visited China as the ruling Communist Party tries to revive investor interest in the country.
Gates, who stepped down as Microsoft chairman in 2014, said on Twitter late Wednesday that he would meet with partners who have worked with his charitable foundation.
Yet Gates is revered in China as a businessman, giving Chinese leaders an opportunity to show their interest in foreign business by publicizing any meeting with him.
CEOs of global companies, including Elon Musk of Tesla Ltd. and Tim Cook of Apple Inc. They visited China this year and met with Premier Li Qiang, the top economic official, and cabinet ministers after the end of anti-virus controls that blocked most international travel.
“Excited to visit partners who have been working on global health and development challenges with @gatesfoundation for over 15 years,” Gates wrote on Twitter. He did not give details.
The ruling party is trying to revive foreign interest in China’s slowing economy and reassure companies that have been rocked by antitrust and data security crackdowns, raids on consulting firms, tension with Washington and pressure to align their plans with official development objectives.