Bayer to invest more in health, nutrition sector

Acknowledging China's foreign business environment and opening-up policies for multinational corporations, German life sciences company Bayer is committed to investing in essential health and nutrition solutions in the country in order to serve a broad base of patients, consumers and growers, said its top executive.

"I sincerely appreciate the Chinese government for its recent initiatives aimed at opening up the cell and gene therapy area to foreign investment. The pilot program, introduced by the Chinese government in 2024, is a significant step forward, allowing foreign businesses to participate in the development and commercialization of these groundbreaking therapies," said Bill Anderson, CEO of Bayer.

Anderson made the remarks after he, together with around 40 other representatives of the international business community, met with China's top leadership in Beijing on March 28.

He said China has always encouraged a friendly business environment and opening-up policies for MNCs.

Whether from an innovation or market perspective, China has immeasurable potential and is one of Bayer's important global strategic pillars. The introduction of the 2025 Action Plan for Stabilizing Foreign Investment also allows the company to see more benefits. Relaxed market access, strengthened intellectual property protection, optimized business environment, facilitation of talent exchange, improved supply chain stability and deepened international cooperation will open up greater possibilities for Bayer's development in China, said the company's spokesperson earlier this year.

In 2024 alone, the company initiated several projects in China, including a new consumer health factory in Jiangsu province, with an investment of 600 million yuan ($82.4 million). Last September, it opened Bayer Co Lab in Shanghai, nurturing innovations in cell and gene therapy as well as oncology.

With chronic disease being an increasing challenge in China, Bayer is winning the market, as it has expertise in the prevention and treatment of major chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, stroke and diabetes, bringing new hope for chronic disease management.

And now, with the government's favorable policies, its pace toward innovation is even faster. On Sept 7, the Ministry of Commerce, the National Health Commission, together with the National Medical Products Administration, issued a guideline on carrying out pilot projects to expand opening-up in the medical field, enabling foreign companies to be engaged in the development and application of human stem cell, gene diagnosis and treatment technologies in the pilot free trade zones in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong province, as well as Hainan Free Trade Port.

During the meeting in Beijing on March 28, China's top leadership noted that China has been and will remain an ideal, secure and promising destination for foreign investors, and that investing in China is investing in the future.

"The meeting with MNC CEOs signifies its determination in multilateralism and globalization, its opening gesture to the outside world as well as its highlight in cooperation and win-win development. Looking forward, the country should continue to prioritize its business environment, expand market access, enhance policy support and promote international cooperation," said Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences.

In 2024, a total of 59,080 new foreign-invested enterprises were established in China, up 9.9 percent year-on-year. Over the past five years, the return rate of foreign direct investment in the country has remained at approximately 9 percent, ranking among the highest in the world.