AstraZeneca has announced a landmark $15 billion investment in China through 2030, significantly expanding its research, development, and manufacturing capabilities as part of its long-term global growth strategy. The investment is designed to accelerate the discovery and delivery of next-generation medicines, while reinforcing China’s role as a critical hub for scientific innovation and advanced biopharmaceutical manufacturing.
The multi-year commitment will support AstraZeneca’s 2030 ambition by leveraging China’s strong scientific base, growing biotech ecosystem, and deepening collaboration between the Chinese and UK healthcare and life sciences sectors. The company said the investment will enable it to bring cutting-edge treatments to patients in China while also supporting global supply and innovation.
The announcement was made during a visit to China by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who highlighted the importance of international partnerships in driving economic growth and innovation. Starmer said AstraZeneca’s expansion in China would help the UK-based pharmaceutical group continue to grow globally while supporting thousands of jobs at home. He added that the investment, alongside collaborations with leading British universities, would further strengthen the UK’s world-class life sciences sector.
Pascal Soriot, Chief Executive Officer of AstraZeneca, described the $15 billion commitment as the beginning of a new chapter for the company in China. He said China has become an increasingly important contributor to scientific innovation, advanced manufacturing, and global public health. By expanding capabilities in breakthrough areas such as cell therapy and radioconjugates, AstraZeneca aims to bring next-generation treatment modalities to patients while supporting China’s high-quality economic development.
A significant portion of the investment will enhance AstraZeneca’s capabilities in new therapeutic modalities, particularly cell therapies and radioconjugates, which are central to its growing pipeline across oncology, haematology, and autoimmune diseases. Building on its 2024 acquisition of Gracell Biotechnologies, AstraZeneca said it will become the first global biopharmaceutical company with end-to-end cell therapy capabilities in China. The company will also deepen partnerships with Chinese biotech firms including AbelZeta, CSPC, Harbour BioMed, Jacobio, and Syneron Bio, helping to bring locally generated innovation to global markets.
The investment further strengthens AstraZeneca’s existing R&D footprint in China, which includes global strategic research centres in Beijing and Shanghai. These centres collaborate with more than 500 clinical hospitals and have supported numerous global clinical trials over the past three years. On the manufacturing side, AstraZeneca will continue to develop its facilities in Wuxi, Taizhou, Qingdao, and Beijing, while also establishing new sites yet to be announced.
As a result of the expansion, AstraZeneca expects its highly skilled workforce in China to grow beyond 20,000 employees, creating thousands of additional jobs across the broader healthcare ecosystem. The company said the initiative will also deepen China-UK collaboration in healthcare innovation through partnerships with institutions such as the University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University of Glasgow, King’s College London, and HSBC.
AstraZeneca noted that the investment aligns with China’s Healthy China 2030 strategy and will support the country’s “Common Health” agenda by improving prevention, early detection, and access to innovative medicines, particularly for underserved communities.