Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong (R front) meets with Bill Gates (L front), one of the founders of Microsoft of the United States, in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 11, 2008. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong met with U.S. billionaire Bill Gates and Microsoft's chief executive officers here on Monday, agreeing to a stronger collaboration between the software giant and China's education and science sectors.

    He welcomed Gates visit for the Olympics, saying the ongoing Games fully depicted itself as a "Green Olympics, High-Tech Olympics and the People's Olympics" through employing energy-saving and environment-friendly technologies and equipment, which also included Microsoft products.

    "Significant changes have taken place during past 30 years in China's politics, economy, culture, health and science," he said. "For (the) future, we will continuously work for the country's modernization progress."

    "To achieve this goal, education and science play important roles," Liu added, calling for a stronger partnership between Microsoft and the country's universities, academic bodies and companies.

    Briefed by Liu about the country's ambitious plans for the long-term development of education and science, Gates said Microsoft had invested heavily in China during the past decade, adding its second largest overseas R&D center was located in the country.

    Microsoft China Corp. had set up three new sections with separate focuses on health care, education and applied technology to low-income people since China launched its new Five-Year Plan in 2007. This was set to improve rural citizens' living conditions, said Craig Mundie, the company's chief officer, adding it planned to increase its China investment in education, health care and rural information progress.

    Last year, Microsoft launched its Unlimited Potential program in China. It followed the company's previous commitments in investment and donations to support information and communications technology in the country's compulsory education system.

    Last month, Microsoft announced it would increase its China activities by donating two fully equipped Info-Wagons, launch a Family Education PC program for rural communities in Beijing's Miyun County and provide digital literacy content and training in libraries and iCafes across the remote western Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

    In June, Gates left his day-to-day role in Microsoft and now serves as the company's chairman and advisor on key development projects.

    With more focus on the global health and education work of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Seattle native said its China activities would work on finding partnerships to work together to reduce poverty in Africa, and help with China's healthcare industry on preventing infectious disease such as HIV AIDS and tuberculosis, among others.