Top executives weigh in at CIIE

A1: AZ has participated in CIIE for four consecutive years. CIIE is an important window for China's opening-up. We value CIIE as a unique stage both to demonstrate our innovation and to forge new cooperation with more partners.

This year, our focus is to demonstrate a cross-field collaborative ecosystem we have built with our partners from government, industry, academia, hospitals, investment and share relevant innovative results.

A2: To hold CIIE as planned despite the impact of the pandemic not only signifies China's determination to further open up, but also shows its sincere will to share the benefits and opportunities of China's fast development momentum with the entire world.

Using this event as a window to boost international trade and cooperation, China, which is now the powerhouse of today's global economy, can help accelerate recovery in the world from the devastation brought by the pandemic over the past two years.

A3: China has shown significant resilience and reported positive growth amid the pandemic. That is a contribution to the world's recovery because China is the world's most important growth engine and the largest manufacturing base.

With such a huge market, China's move to increase imports beside exporting is critical for the whole world, especially for countries that are more export-reliant and in urgent need of orders from international markets to help boost economic recovery and ensure the livelihoods of their people.

A4: As China increasingly integrates with the world and stresses innovation more than ever, the prospects of our industry in China are very bright. For example, AZ has recently upgraded our R&D facility in Shanghai into our global R&D China Center, which helps China gain a more significant position in the global medical innovation landscape.

The prospects for China's consumer market is also very promising, as Chinese people's livelihoods will be further improved along with the economy, and they are seeing health as a very important investment and are willing to spend.

A5: Absolutely, yes. Since AZ entered the China market in 1993, we've witnessed and benefitted tremendously from China's improved business environment. And I can see China's determination to further open up is unyielding. That is proved by various measures and policies carried out by the Chinese government, including the Belt and Road Initiative, the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, as well as hosting the CIIE.

A6: China is increasingly integrating with the world through various efforts. It is now the largest trade partner of many economies, and a major destination for foreign investment. That explains a lot.

The world has benefitted a lot from China's continuous opening-up. In fact, China has been a key engine of the world's economic growth over the past decades, and this is especially notable during critical times such as during the 2008 financial crisis and more recently the pandemic.

Global companies like AstraZeneca, of course, are also one of the biggest beneficiaries of China's continuous opening-up. AstraZeneca China has increasingly shown its strategic importance on the global map of AstraZeneca in terms of scientific R&D, production and operation or commercial innovation.

A7: I think in the future it would be a priority for China to unleash the full potential of its various regions, especially the hinterlands, and turn them into bridgeheads of China's opening-up.

Also, it is imperative for governments to join with industry to further drive domestic innovation, which is the key to high-level development.