China aims to cement its place at forefront of biomedical innovation with 5

BEIJING – China on Friday released a five-year plan for its pharmaceutical industry, outlining targets such as keeping biomedical research, development and application at the global forefront by 2030. This move signals the country's resolve to turn drug innovation into a strategic strength.

The plan, jointly issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and nine other authorities, calls for a major leap in the core competitiveness and international influence of China's pharmaceutical industry from 2026 to 2030. It is hoped that core technologies in key fields will see systematic breakthroughs during this period.

Specifically, first-in-class drugs developed in China should account for no less than 25 percent of the global total, with the number of innovative drugs approved for market ranking among the world leaders. The innovative drug sector is expected to grow at an average annual rate of at least 20 percent, according to the plan.