On the afternoon of April 9, Yin Li, Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, met with Robert M. Davis, Chairman and CEO of MSD.

Yin stated that the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and the Beijing municipal government prioritize people’s health and are committed to promoting the healthcare industry. In recent years, there has been a concerted effort to advance the medical and health sector, particularly in the realm of innovative drugs. Key areas include cell genes, nucleic acid drugs, vaccines, and novel antibodies. With a large number of research institutions in such areas as biology and medicine, Beijing boasts a first-class innovation ecosystem, featuring a stable R&D intensity of over 6% of GDP. Additionally, various support policies have been rolled out, including opening-up policies like the “two zones”, and facilitation measures such as the fast-track channel for the expedited approval of urgently needed imported medicines and devices. Beijing has established a comprehensive system to protect intellectual property rights and is fostering a market-oriented, law-based, and accessible business climate in keeping with international standards. Multinational pharmaceutical companies are encouraged to develop in Beijing to capitalize on greater opportunities and achievements of the city. It is hoped that MSD will deepen its cooperation with universities, research institutions, and local innovative enterprises in Beijing to drive the innovative development of biomedicine. The enterprise is also welcomed to deliver higher-quality healthcare services to meet people’s needs by strengthening public health cooperation with Beijing in such areas as vaccines, infectious disease prevention and control, and health education. Moreover, introducing a broader range of innovative products will further support the high-quality development of Beijing's healthcare sector.

Davis highlighted Beijing’s exceptional and appealing development environment, and expressed MSD’s commitment to further exploring the market in Beijing and China at large, and expanding its investment. MSD is willing to deepen cooperation with Beijing in areas such as technological R&D and public health, and make an even greater contribution to people’s health and well-being by providing more high-quality innovative drugs.

Xia Linmao, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and Executive Vice Mayor of Beijing, attended the meeting.

(Written by Fan Junsheng)