The Baidu Charitable Foundation (The Baidu Foundation) and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (The Gates Foundation) founded a strategic charitable alliance on Saturday, in a bid to work for a healthy, smoke-free environment both in China and around the world.

Microsoft chairman and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) Bill Gates (R) talks to Robin Li, founder and chief executive of Chinese search engine Baidu, after they put on shirts bearing the slogan "Say No to Involuntary Smoking" at a press conference in Beijing, capital of China, June 11, 2011. Gates and Li signed an agreement to form a charitable alliance in a joint effort to promote a smoking-free society in China. [Cui Xinyu/Xinhua]

Li Yanhong, president of Baidu company, China's top online search engine operator, and Bill Gates, co-chair and trustee of the foundation under the names of the couple, attending the ceremony, both wore a shirt that said, "Say No to Forced Smoking."

In his speech at the ceremony, Bill Gates said, "This will be a long-term, open-ended alliance. As a sponsor, Mr. Li and I would like to welcome more partners, and we expect to see more Chinese enterprises and all facets of society to focus on public health issues together."

Li Yanhong also addressed the meeting, claiming, "Living healthy and green has become a common pursuit of mankind. We hope the alliance can bring together public efforts for this global cause, so that more people can benefit from our endeavor." ' The alliance's first action is to comply with the government ban on smoking in public places and refuse forced smoking, according to a press release from the foundations.

Targeting "forced smokers," the alliance will carry out educational campaign through all channels of media to educate and promote self-awareness about the dangers of forced smoking. Moreover, it will also help existing smokers, especially those who are underage, by sharing scientific methods for quitting.

Smoking is one of the world's eight primary causes of death, leading to lung disease, cancer, heart disease, low birth rate, fetal death, tuberculosis, high mortality and many other health issues. Smoking forces many families into poverty by causing both poor health and premature death.

China ranks first in tobacco consumption and production in the world. China has 300 million smokers, and one in every three cigarettes smoked in the world is smoked in China. More than half of Chinese smokers are male; and more than 1 million people die from smoking related diseases each year.

In addition, China has 740 million "forced smokers," whose health also suffers. The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that there is no safe level of second-hand smoke.

This year, China published its 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) that clearly stipulates for "implementing a full-scale ban on smoking in public facilities." This is the first time that tobacco control has been included as part of China's five-year plan for national economic and social development.

"Rules for Implementation of Public Facilities Health Management Regulations," effective since May 1st, also specifies to "ban smoking at all public indoor facilities," providing legal basis for non-smokers to protect their rights of health and to refuse "involuntary smoking."

Aside from tobacco control, the strategic alliance co-founded by the foundations will also collaborate on a series of projects, such as AIDS prevention and control, in a joint effort to promote health for mankind.

Founded in 2000, the Gates Foundation currently carries out charity projects in over 100 countries. Since establishing the Beijing Representative Office in 2007, the Gates Foundation has supported a range of health and development projects in China, including the advocacy of smoke-free environment, AIDS and tuberculosis prevention and control, and agricultural development and research projects.

Launched in 2010, the Baidu Foundation is committed to use information technology for support of youth and disadvantaged groups, focus on the environment and promote social harmony.

Ever since Baidu was founded, Li has actively pushed for tobacco control within the enterprise and the industry. He is the only Chinese member of the United Nation AIDS Prevention Senior Committee and also board member of the HuaXia Charity Foundation.