TMTPOST -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday voiced hope that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will play a greater role in fostering exchanges and cooperation between China and the United States, saying stronger ties could deliver more tangible results for both sides and the world.

Li made the remarks during a meeting with Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation, on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Credit: Xinhua News Agency

The premier praised Gates and his foundation for their long-standing contributions to global poverty reduction, health care, development, and philanthropy. He noted that China has made “tremendous achievements” in health services in recent years, building the world’s largest disease control and medical service system while actively engaging in international development cooperation.

China is ready to expand collaboration with the foundation across the full health-care chain, Li said, including through trilateral and multilateral projects with developing countries. He urged the foundation to continue working with Chinese ministries and local partners, and to make use of platforms such as the Global Health Drug Discovery Institute in Beijing and the Shanghai Center of Excellence for Global Health and Development.

“The sound and stable development of China-U.S. relations benefits not only the two countries but also the world,” Li said, calling on both nations to enhance cooperation, strengthen global governance, and jointly promote global stability and prosperity.

Gates, for his part, highlighted China’s advances in scientific innovation, artificial intelligence, health care, and poverty alleviation, saying these achievements have drawn worldwide attention. He said the Gates Foundation looks forward to expanding substantive cooperation with China in global health, particularly in developing countries.

Calling U.S.-China ties “one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world today,” Gates pledged that both he and the foundation would make active efforts to promote closer communication and collaboration between the two countries in tackling shared challenges.