On 14 December 2025, at the invitation of the Greater Bay Area Medical Professional Development Association (GBAMPDA), Vice President Feng Lan of the China Pharmaceutical Innovation and Research Development Association (PhIRDA) led a delegation of member companies to attend the Greater Bay Area Healthcare and Health Economy New Paradigm Summit Forum 2026 in Hong Kong, China. The delegation engaged in in-depth exchanges on promoting coordinated development between the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and the pharmaceutical innovation industry in the Mainland. Hosted by the GBAMPDA under the theme “Insights into New Waves of Policy, Technology and Capital to Seize Deterministic Opportunities in the Greater Bay Area’s Health Industry”, the forum provided a comprehensive interpretation of the latest industrial policies and support measures introduced by governments at various levels across the GBA. It also explored application scenarios of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence in healthcare, and analyzed the momentum of capital aggregation driving regional development.

During the forum, Feng Lan, Vice President of PhIRDA; Xue Qun, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CANbridge; and Yang Bin, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Clinical Operations at Hutchison Whampoa, were invited to participate in a thematic panel discussion titled “Exploring New Pathways for Coordinated Development of the Pharmaceutical Industry and Healthcare Services Across Regions.” From perspectives including globalization, GBA collaboration, and industry practice, the speakers shared experiences and strategic insights of China’s innovative pharmaceutical enterprises.

Ms. Feng Lan noted that China’s pharmaceutical innovation is accelerating its integration into the global innovation ecosystem. Chinese pharmaceutical companies have achieved breakthrough progress in international licensing transactions, technological innovation, and industrial scale. As of November 2025, the number of outbound licensing deals concluded within the year had exceeded 100, and the total value of overseas licensing of domestically developed innovative drugs had surpassed USD 100 billion. This trend underscores enterprises’ growing demand for key hubs and strategic platforms in their global expansion. In this context, Hong Kong has demonstrated a unique and irreplaceable strategic position—not only as an international financial center, but also as a critical node in regulatory system development, alignment with international rules, and the shaping of a robust industry ecosystem. As Hong Kong continues to refine its regulatory frameworks for drugs and medical devices, its role in facilitating the global expansion of China’s innovative achievements will become even more pronounced. PhIRDA will continue to serve as a bridge and connector, promoting closer and more efficient collaboration between the Mainland and Hong Kong in the field of pharmaceutical innovation.

Mr. Xue Qun shared insights into global development trends in the rare disease field based on the company’s experience in rare disease drug R&D and industrial practice. He noted that therapies for rare diseases have become a key focus of global innovative drug development, with the application of new technologies in this area continuing to expand and market potential being steadily unlocked. Significant progress has been made in Mainland China in building rare disease protection systems and improving access to innovative therapies, creating a favorable environment for relevant companies to expand in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and in international markets. He expressed his expectation that Hong Kong, as one of the core engines of the Greater Bay Area, will further enhance the accessibility and affordability of rare disease medicines. CANbridge will continue to leverage the Hong Kong platform to deepen its R&D efforts and global presence in the rare disease sector, benefiting more patients worldwide.

Ms. Yang Bin provided a comprehensive and authoritative overview of Hong Kong’s distinctive advantages in bridging Mainland China with international markets from the perspective of global enterprise operations. She emphasized Hong Kong’s prominent strengths in international finance, professional services, cross-cultural management, and talent development, positioning it as a pivotal hub for Mainland innovative pharmaceutical companies to execute their global expansion strategies. Looking forward, she highlighted that companies should adopt a systematic approach to fully leverage Hong Kong as a strategic platform, fostering synergy in capital operations, management system development, and international collaborations to continually enhance global competitiveness. She further underscored Hong Kong’s expected role, as a core component of the Greater Bay Area, in facilitating Chinese enterprises’ globalization and operational establishment.

To further advance collaboration between the pharmaceutical industries of Mainland China and Hong Kong, PhIRDA and GBAMPDA formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Both parties committed to the principles of “Resource Complementarity, Mutual Benefit, Collaborative Development, and Long-term Cooperation” and agreed to establish a regular mechanism for cooperative exchange, focusing on practical collaboration in areas such as joint activities, policy research, resource alignment, and information sharing. Through co-hosting industry conferences, thematic forums, and exchange visits, the two associations will conduct joint studies on pharmaceutical innovation and regional policy issues, create platforms to connect enterprises with expert resources, and promote deep integration between the Greater Bay Area and Mainland China pharmaceutical industries in policy coordination, technology exchange, talent interaction, and market connectivity, thereby supporting high-quality industry development. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Dr. Ko Wing-man, Standing Committee Member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Member of the Executive Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Ms. Feng Lan, Vice President of PhIRDA ; Mr. Eric Siu, Founding President of the Greater Bay Area Medical Professional Development Association; and Mr. Duncan Chiu, Member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council.

The signing of this MoU represents a significant initiative by PhIRDA to deepen exchange and cooperation within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and to advance collaborative development in pharmaceutical innovation. Both parties will leverage their respective resources and platform advantages, focusing on key areas such as the translation of basic research, integration of healthcare services, industrial collaboration, and policy coordination. They will continue to drive practical and in-depth cooperation, contributing to the construction of an open, collaborative, and innovation-driven pharmaceutical and healthcare ecosystem in the Greater Bay Area, thereby enabling more Mainland China innovation achievements to benefit patients in Hong Kong and globally.