Editor's Note: The fifth China International Import Expo is near. The "My CIIE Story" activity, which was launched on June 1, has drawn a great deal of attention and many people have shared their experiences related to the expo. A series of works themed on "grand strategy" and "big market" were published in July and August. In September, more stories with the theme "prominent platform", which showcase how the CIIE turns exhibits into commodities and exhibitors into investors, will be released.

The Takeda booth at the CIIE. [Photo/CIIE Bureau]

Takeda participated in all previous editions of the CIIE except for the second one in 2019, the year when we were too busy acquiring UK pharmaceutical company Shire and reorganizing our businesses.

We returned to the third CIIE in 2020 with a paper crane-shaped booth, wishing the world good health in the post-pandemic era. We also had a booth at the newly launched public health and epidemic prevention subsection to showcase healthcare innovations and achievements in the fight against COVID-19.

That same year, Takeda released a five-year development plan in China. By 2025, the company aims to introduce 15 innovative products to the Chinese market to benefit 10 million patients.

The CIIE is an ideal platform to make new connections and forge new cooperation. During the fourth expo, we worked with our partners in the biomedical sector to hold more than 10 launch ceremonies for our cooperation projects. We also attended a number of forums and seminars to make suggestions for the pharmaceutical industry's future development.

Due to the CIIE's spillover effects and favorable policies issued by Chinese authorities, Takeda has experienced robust growth in China. Our five products for rare diseases displayed at the third CIIE all received approval to hit the market within only six months after the expo. In 2021, three of our new products were approved in China, accounting for about one third of Takeda's approved products worldwide.

China is so important a market for Takeda that many of our senior executives, including the chief executive officer, have been involved in the CIIE in different ways. Our overseas colleagues have also learned about China's innovation environment and opportunities through the expo.

We are hoping to bring more global innovations to China and further tap the potential of the world's second largest pharmaceutical market through this year's CIIE.

By Sean Shan

The author is the global senior vice-president of Takeda Pharmaceutical Co and the president of Takeda China.