By Gao Qiao
In recent years, China’s groundbreaking advancements in biomedicine have garnered significant global attention.
Experts highlight China’s robust innovation prowess in biotechnology, which is enticing greater investment from multinational biopharmaceutical firms. Simultaneously, the expansive international pharmaceutical market is propelling Chinese biopharmaceutical companies towards global expansion. China is actively immersing itself in the global biopharmaceutical innovation system.
According to a 2024 report on the development of life sciences and biotechnology in China released by the China National Center for Biotechnology Development, China published 222,964 life science papers in 2023, with a 10-year compound annual growth rate of 11.38 percent, significantly higher than the international average.
In the same year, the number of patent applications in life sciences and biotechnology in China surged by 30.59 percent compared to the previous year, with an 11.39 percent increase in granted patents. China’s share of global patent applications and granted patents stood at 39.38 percent and 41.33 percent, respectively.
Data from the China’s National Medical Products Administration indicated that in 2023, China green-lighted 36 domestically developed innovative drugs for market entry, alongside 6,151 Class III medical devices, 2,079 of which were first-time registrations..
The significant growth across various metrics indicates that China’s innovation capabilities, market size, and international competitiveness in biotechnology have been rapidly advancing in recent years.
A recent 20-month investigation by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), a Washington-based think tank, examined the innovation performance of 44 Chinese companies in key technology sectors like nuclear power, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and electric vehicles.
The findings revealed that in the biopharmaceutical sector, although China still trails behind the U.S. and other Western leaders, it is making swift progress in catching up. Notably, from 2002 to 2019, China’s share of added value in the global biopharmaceutical industry has experienced a significant increase.
A recent article in the Saudi Arabian newspaper Makkah highlighted China’s biotechnology industry as a prime example of transforming challenges into growth opportunities. With a focus on international cooperation, regulatory reforms, and innovation, China is poised to emerge as a key player in the global healthcare sector in the future. Despite encountering obstacles, the biotechnology sector in China has shown remarkable resilience and creativity, positioning it as one of the most promising industries for development in the years ahead.
Life sciences are at the forefront of modern research, and the biotechnology industry is a typical technology-intensive sector. Experts attributed China’s rapid progress in biotechnology innovation to the country’s solid support for human resource, technological reserves, and capital investment.
According to the Makkah article, in recent years, Chinese biotechnology startups have signed over 20 significant agreements with Western companies. These agreements not only involve financial investments but also demonstrate the increasing global recognition of the capabilities of Chinese biotechnology startups in drug research and development.
These collaborations span a wide range of areas, including the development of innovative drugs and advanced therapies such as immunotherapy and protein technology innovation. For China, this progress signifies a turning point, as local startups are increasingly becoming trusted partners for global enterprises.
Gao Fu, chairman of the Chinese Society of Biotechnology, said the rapid development of biotechnology in China is a result of the collaborative efforts of the Chinese government, research institutions, and businesses.
The government has played a crucial role by formulating policies that specifically target the strengthening and expansion of strategic emerging industries like biotechnology, as well as by improving research mechanisms in the field.
Additionally, a number of research institutions and companies have aligned their research objectives with societal demands, focusing on addressing practical issues. By leveraging technological advancements such as gene editing, genetic recombination, and mRNA technologies, they are propelling the industrial application of biotechnology.
In recent years, China has made significant adjustments to its policies in the field of biology, actively promoting industrial development.
On one hand, the country has bolstered its intellectual property protection system to create a robust “protective barrier” for innovative accomplishments. This enables research institutions to commercialize their intellectual property rights, derive profits from innovative breakthroughs, and further support scientific research.
On the other hand, China has become a member of the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use, progressively integrating into the global pharmaceutical regulatory framework. This move is aimed at elevating domestic drug regulatory standards and enhancing the credibility of Chinese medical data within the international pharmaceutical sector.
Besides, Chinese technology-driven enterprises are utilizing various methods to expand internationally, and multinational pharmaceutical companies are intensifying their localization strategies through partnerships with Chinese domestic enterprises and institutions. China is steadily progressing in its integration into the global biotechnology innovation trend.
A robotic arm packs traditional Chinese medicine injections in a workshop of a pharmaceutical company in Shijiazhuang, north China’s Hebei province. (Photo by Zhang Xiaofeng/People’s Daily Online)
Technicians work on an intelligent production line of a biotech company in Ningde, southeast China’s Fujian province. (Photo by Wang Wangwang/People’s Daily Online)
