China Stakes Global Pharma Leadership at CPHI & PMEC 2025 in Shanghai

Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Asia

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Image Source: Saradha Mani

China’s pharmaceutical ambitions took center stage this week as CPHI & PMEC China 2025 drew more than 90,000 attendees and 3,500 exhibitors to the Shanghai New International Expo Center from June 23 to 26. Regarded as Asia’s most influential pharmaceutical exhibition, this year’s event emphasized China’s growing role as not just a manufacturing hub, but as a strategic and innovative force in global healthcare.

With the theme “Turning Local Connections into Endless Opportunity,” the event positioned China as a key architect of the future pharmaceutical landscape. Across more than 100 sessions, delegates explored developments in biologics, APIs, excipients, and digital drug development, while regulators and industry leaders discussed strategies for international cooperation and regulatory alignment.

The conference opened with the 14th Pharmaceutical Industry International Development Forum, held at the Purple Mountain Hotel. It featured prominent figures from China’s commerce and drug regulation sectors, alongside leaders from global biopharma. Zhou Hui, President of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import & Export of Medicines & Health Products (CCCMHPIE), called for a balance of quality, innovation, and compliance to elevate China’s competitive standing. Regulatory expert Zhang Wei highlighted China's steps toward aligning with global standards set by the ICH and WHO an essential move as domestic firms expand into US and EU markets.

Key discussions across the forum pointed to China’s intent to become a proactive player in health diplomacy through platforms like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which is increasingly being leveraged for pharma collaboration in Africa, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe. Delegates also examined strategies to expand Chinese pharmaceutical exports, particularly in biologics, to growth markets across Asia-Pacific and Africa.

Innovation was a driving theme throughout the event. At the CPHI Pharmaceutical Innovation and Development Forum, policymakers and scientists discussed the integration of AI, digital health technologies, and personalized medicine into drug development. The 10th Biopharmaceuticals Outlook Forum brought together thought leaders from WuXi Biologics and Henlius, who emphasized the importance of designing scalable and globally manufacturable therapies from the outset.

Meanwhile, excipient science took a front seat in a dedicated innovation salon, where companies such as Ashland and Eastman Chemical revealed AI-enabled formulation strategies that significantly shorten development timelines. Advances in gel strength, bioavailability, and excipient harmonization were spotlighted as crucial for accelerating global drug approvals.

The third day of the conference shifted attention to APIs, veterinary medicine, and nutraceuticals. Experts from Clarivate and Chaitou Pharma addressed how Chinese API manufacturers are pivoting toward quality, environmental compliance, and traceability to meet rigorous global standards. Sessions on functional foods and natural ingredients drew researchers from Peking and Tsinghua Universities, who presented promising studies on plant-based compounds, anti-aging supplements, and microbiome health.

A major focus of the event was sustainability. At the Green Energy and Emission Reduction Innovation Forum, AstraZeneca and Boston Consulting Group outlined strategies to embed ESG principles across pharma operations. With carbon-neutral goals, green synthesis methods, and digital energy tracking becoming part of corporate roadmaps, speakers reinforced the message that sustainability is now core to operational strategy and global competitiveness.

Throughout the exhibition, companies showcased cutting-edge technologies, including high-purity fish oils, chromatography resins, and hydrogenation catalysts. The evolving CXO (Contract X Organization) model was a prominent theme, signaling a shift as Chinese CDMOs move toward offering end-to-end innovation services from early discovery to commercial manufacturing and regulatory support.

Reflecting on the four-day event, Dr. Jin Xiaoci of UPS Healthcare Asia remarked, “This is the new China: regulatory smart, commercially agile, and scientifically ambitious.”

Indeed, CPHI & PMEC China 2025 was not merely a showcase of pharmaceutical capabilities it was a declaration of intent. As China repositions itself at the center of global pharma supply chains, the exhibition served as a window into a future where East and West increasingly collaborate on the next frontier of health innovation.