According to state media, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday. This visit marks Gates’ first trip to China in four years.

Several Western business leaders, including JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, have visited China recently as the country lifted strict Covid controls that had isolated it from the world for nearly three years.

In conjunction with the visit, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced a $50 million donation to support China’s efforts in combating malaria and tuberculosis.

The foundation plans to collaborate with the Global Health Drug Discovery Institute (GHDDI), a Beijing-based organization established by Gates, the Beijing municipal government, and Tsinghua University.

The funding aims to improve global health outcomes by developing therapies for infectious diseases that disproportionately affect impoverished populations.

During a speech at the GHDDI, Gates praised China’s achievements in poverty reduction and malaria eradication.

He expressed hope that China would play a larger role in addressing challenges faced by African countries.