The GHA Working Group China, under the leadership of its two co-chairmen Prof. Dr. med. Dr. h.c. Manfred Dietel, former Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and Verena Kantel, Head Pharma Public Affairs International of Bayer AG, met with almost 30 participants from GHA and BDI membership via video conference. The GHA – German Health Alliance thus offers an important platform to its members who are or would like to become active in China, or who are particularly interested in the Chinese health market, even in times of COVID-related distance requirements. The participants had the opportunity to discuss the promotion and framework conditions of the health care industry as well as a stronger development of bilateral relations with China in this respect.
Greater awareness of the healthcare industry necessary
“The health sector is a cross-sectoral and societal concern. For this reason, the health care industry must be perceived and promoted by politicians even more across ministries and industries. This is an important response to the all-changing megatrends of digitization, an aging society and chronic diseases, which pose social and political challenges for policymakers in the EU and China alike. The issue of health must therefore become an even more important topic of cooperation both at national and EU level and in multilateral forums. In addition, bilateral German-EU-Chinese relations require a structural dialogue and fields of cooperation can be identified,” emphasised Verena Kantel.
The GHA-China network maintains numerous intensive contacts with clinical and scientific medical institutions as well as political institutions at various levels in Germany, the EU and China. Professor Dietel encourages all GHA members to contact the GSHCG-GHA EAST-CHINA Office in Hangzhou directly for specific questions regarding an engagement in China. There, GHA members will receive helpful advice and contacts can be made.
Economic policy networks of the Asia-Pacific Committee and BDI attractive for GHA members
“Our aim in the Asia-Pacific Committee (APA) is to facilitate market access in China for German companies and to promote business with Chinese partners. In doing so, we do not aim to restrict Chinese activities in our market but to ensure a level playing field and fair competition”, Friedolin Strack, Head of the International Markets Department, BDI and spokesman of the APA management board, explains the advantages of GHA membership. BDI is concerned when Chinese industrial policy objectives are pursued abroad with competition rules that are not compatible with our competition regime.
