On June 16, 2023, President Xi Jinping met in Beijing with Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation of the United States Bill Gates.

Xi Jinping commended Gates and the Gates Foundation for their long-standing commitment to promoting global poverty reduction, health, development and philanthropy. Xi Jinping stressed that at present, momentous changes unseen in a century are accelerating across the world, and he put forward the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, to provide China's solutions to tackling global challenges. For China, the top priority is to focus on solving its own problems. China is a large country with more than 1.4 billion people; its long-term stability and sustained development are major contributions to world peace, stability and prosperity. China will consolidate its achievements in poverty alleviation, realize rural revitalization, and continuously improve rural health.

Xi Jinping stressed that China is committed to advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. China will never go down the beaten track of seeking hegemony with strength. Instead, China will work with all other countries to achieve common development and build a community with a shared future for mankind. China is ready to carry out extensive cooperation with other countries on scientific and technological innovation, and actively participate in and promote the effort to address global challenges such as climate change, pandemic response and public health. China is ready to further strengthen cooperation with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in relevant fields to provide support and help to fellow developing countries within its capacity.

Xi Jinping said to Gates that he is the first American friend he has met in Beijing this year. As the world is emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, people should interact and communicate more to increase mutual understanding. Xi Jinping said people are the foundation of China-US relations, and “we count on the American people, and hope for lasting friendship between the two peoples”.

Gates briefed President Xi on the progress in and vision for cooperation with China, saying that China has made remarkable achievements in poverty reduction and COVID response, and set a good example for the world. In recent years, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has conducted good cooperation with China and made remarkable progress. He said China's effort to accelerate development through innovation will benefit China, other developing countries and the larger world. The Foundation is committed to further strengthening cooperation with China in innovation, global poverty reduction, public health, research and development of medicines, rural areas and agriculture, and other fields, and in disseminating successful experience and technologies to developing countries.

Wang Yi and Qin Gang, among others, were present at the event.