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[quote=MARRIE,299091]China one of first stops for Gates in new philanthropy job

By Kristi Heim

Seattle Times business reporter

When Bill Gates takes on the role of full-time philanthropist this summer, one of the first places he's headed is China.

That's where the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will move forward on several key health programs, including HIV/AIDS prevention and a new push to curb smoking — and try to tap China's expertise to improve African agriculture.

Gates discussed the new China initiatives in an interview as the Microsoft chairman this week leaves day-to-day work at the company he co-founded 33 years ago and looks ahead to the global work of the Gates Foundation.

China might seem like an unlikely destination for Gates and the foundation, considering the wealth that China's economic boom has generated in recent years.

While the country has impoverished regions with disease epidemics, it also has expertise that could help poorer countries improve areas such as agricultural production, said Gates.

"China is kind of interesting, because ... it's a recipient [of assistance], but in a lot of ways it's a participant in the things that need to get done," Gates said. "They have capabilities that, now that they've improved their economy a lot, they can be a factor to help poorer countries."

It's also a nation of smokers. The Gates Foundation is launching a new program to help the country cut tobacco use.

China has nearly 30 percent of the world's smokers, according to the World Health Organization. Almost 60 percent of men in China smoke, and more than a million people a year die from smoking-linked illnesses.

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