Lei Haichao, minister of China's National Health Commission (NHC), along with vice-ministers Zeng Yixin and Cao Xuetao, recently held separate meetings in Beijing with heads of multinationals attending the 2025 annual meeting of the China Development Forum.

Those top executives the NHC officials met with included David A. Ricks, chair and CEO of the US-based pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly; Albert Bourla, CEO of the US-based pharmaceutical company Pfizer; Michael Nelson, CEO of the US-based company Amway specializing in health and wellness; and Sean Stein, president of the US-China Business Council.

The meetings highlighted China's commitment to prioritizing people's health as an important indicator of socialist modernization. The NHC officials presented China's efforts to implement a health-first strategy, advance the Healthy China initiative and deepen the reform of the medical and health system, which have contributed to a steady improvement in public health.

It was stated at the meetings that at present, China’s stable economic growth, optimized business environment, expanded opening-up of the medical sector, and unleashed innovation vitality provide multinationals with favorable conditions for long-term investment and growth. China encourages these enterprises to seize new opportunities brought about by Chinese modernization, increase investment and R&D cooperation, and play an active role in building a Healthy China, so as to promote the building of a global community of health for all.

The heads of multinationals gave presentations on the progress of and future plans for their businesses in China, expressing strong confidence in the country's development prospects. They pledged to provide better products and services to the Chinese market to support the high-quality growth of China's health sector.