June Xu

Earlier this month, China held its national Two Sessions, the annual legislative meetings of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Similar to last year, the work report presented at the NPC reiterated China’s commitment to strengthening IP rights protection.

Aligning with the 24 Measures, a policy directive from the State Council aimed at attracting foreign investment, China’s intellectual property (IP) agencies have undertaken multiple measures aimed at addressing the concerns of foreign IP rights holders.

The last few months have seen multiple policy developments affecting American businesses that operate in the healthcare industry. Echoing the State Council’s 24 Measures document issued over the summer, the central government has enacted policies to improve the public procurement environment and enhance intellectual property rights protection, both of which are long-standing concerns for multinational healthcare companies.

China has seen several high-level personnel changes at the central and provincial levels over the last few months. Notably, the National People’s Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) voted to remove Li Shangfu from his position as China’s defense minister.

Over the past two months, there have been several noteworthy policy developments that affect the healthcare industry. In July, China launched an unprecedented year-long anti-corruption campaign in the healthcare sector, targeting both hospitals and healthcare companies.