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In the meeting with China's Minister of Science
and Technology Wan Gang, in which Gates was representing the
philanthropic Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the two
discussed cooperating on technology and "innovative
development", Friday's statement said.
The statement did not mention Microsoft, for whom Gates remains
on the board and spends about a third of his time as technology
adviser to CEO Satya Nadella.
The environment for U.S. tech companies has become increasingly
difficult in China in recent months. Last week, U.S. business
lobbies called on the White House for help to overturn new
Chinese cyber security regulations they said would hurt market
opportunities abroad and jobs in the United States. U.S. tech
groups wrote to Beijing about the same policies on Jan. 28.
Foreign companies are also increasingly concerned they are being
targeted by Chinese regulators.
Addressing a Chinese anti-monopoly investigation into Microsoft
in September, Chief Executive Nadella said the company would
fully cooperate with the State Administration for Industry and
Commerce, which launched a probe into the world's largest
software company last summer.
The company's mainland subsidiary was charged with about $140
million in back taxes in November, the first U.S. corporation
targeted for cross-border tax evasion in China.
Microsoft declined to comment on Gates' visit, as it concerns
the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
An official at the foundation confirmed the visit but declined
to provide further details.
(Reporting by Sue-Lin Wong; Editing by Paul Carsten and Michael
Perry)
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