(Multimedia) Special Article: Chinese Medicines Increasingly Reach the Global Health Market

 Source: Xinhua

 In this photo taken on May 22, 2024, a man works at a computed tomography (CT) scanner manufacturing workshop at Newsoft Medical in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, northeast China. (Xinhua)

Beijing, January 22, 2026 (Xinhua) -- A new wave of Chinese-made medicines and medical devices is arriving in the world, highlighting the great strides China has made in the global health market.

Statistics released by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce showed that China's exports of medicines reached US$100.895 billion in the first 11 months of 2025, with the product structure continuing to improve.

The ministry said that traditional products with strong performance, such as chemical active pharmaceutical ingredients and medical devices, have maintained a large share of the global market, while their export volume has steadily increased.

Furthermore, Chinese pharmaceutical companies signed a record-breaking US$135.7 billion cross-border licensing deals through 157 transactions in 2025, a sharp increase from US$51.9 billion through 94 transactions in 2024. This remarkable growth indicates that the global market increasingly values ​​Chinese domestic innovations.

Officials attending a conference held by the National Healthcare Guarantee Commission last Saturday in Beijing said that China's exports of medicines and medical devices are steadily moving towards higher value-added sectors, with innovative drugs, advanced formulations and high-performance medical devices becoming the focus.

These achievements were not a coincidence. In recent years, China has established various platforms to remove information barriers and obstacles to the supply chain in cross-border medical trade.

On January 13, the China-ASEAN Regional Medical Products Trade Platform (Buying on Volume), the first platform of its kind in the country targeting ASEAN countries, concluded its first deal for 2026, with a deal worth more than 10 million yuan between Qilu Pharmaceutical and a Thai buyer.

The platform has so far attracted 224 local pharmaceutical companies and received purchase orders for more than 170 types of Chinese medicines and medical supplies from countries such as Vietnam and Thailand, giving a strong boost to regional trade.

For his part, the general manager of a Thai pharmaceutical company said that the platform, which is based on transparency, regulatory credibility and a shared commitment to public health, serves as a vital bridge of trust between ASEAN countries and China.

The director continued, "This platform has radically changed our approach to identifying partners, assessing product quality, and conducting cross-border business," adding that he is optimistic about establishing long-term cooperation with more Chinese partners through this platform.

Other platforms are also developing rapidly. The "China (Xinjiang) - Central Asia Pharmaceutical Platform," a medical trade platform, was established in 2025 in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of northwest China, while another platform for Central and Eastern Europe is planned for Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, in eastern China