Bill Gates is in China, marking his first trip to the country since 2019. He tweeted that he would meet with partners associated with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation who have been working on global health and development challenges.

Gates’ visit will likely include a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to two people who know the matter, it will mark Xi’s first encounter with a foreign private entrepreneur in recent years. The encounter may be one-on-one, the people said. Gates has a long history with China and has invested in projects there through his foundation. He also has deep ties to China’s tech community. But the mood among many foreign business leaders towards China has turned cautious as tensions with the United States intensify, and Xi strengthens policies centered on national security and domestic markets.

During his stay, the people said that Gates would meet with local government officials and entrepreneurs. He will discuss the foundation’s work tackling climate change, poverty, and diseases like malaria and HIV. They added that the meeting could help show that Chinese policymakers and entrepreneurs are looking to cooperate with the world’s largest economy to solve global problems.

The people said the meeting would be private and did not disclose a date or time for the session. Representatives for Gates’ Foundation and China’s State Council Information Office, which handles media inquiries for the Chinese government, did not reply quickly to Reuters requests for comment.

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Gates stepped down from Microsoft’s board in 2020 to focus on philanthropy related to global health, education, and climate change but kept his full-time executive role with the company. According to Forbes, he is the wealthiest person in the world, with a net worth of $99 billion.

Xi last met with foreign private entrepreneurs and business leaders during the pandemic, when travel restrictions were in place, and he was focused on containing the virus. Since the beginning of this year, he has met with several CEOs and other foreign leaders during official visits to the United States and other countries. Premier Li Qiang met Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook in March, and Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk met with Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang last month, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Xi’s encounter with Gates is likely to be part of an effort by the ruling Communist Party to revive interest in foreign investment as China seeks to avoid a trade war with the United States and tackles a slowing economy. Investors such as Warren Buffett and the founders of ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) have toured China recently to drum up interest in their companies, despite pressure from Beijing to limit their clout and influence. Chinese authorities are also trying to encourage wealthy individuals to invest abroad. This includes a new fund for domestic investors created in collaboration with overseas funds and a new platform to attract foreign investment in real estate.