On September 4, 2026, the "2026 Health and Life Sciences Conference," themed "Focusing on Bay Area Synergy and Expanding International Cooperation," was successfully held in Guangzhou. The event was co-hosted by the Beijing Association for the Promotion of Chronic Disease Prevention and Treatment with Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine and the Beijing Zhongjianlian Health Service Promotion Center, organized by Access Health International, and supported by the Guangzhou Biotech Industry Alliance. The conference centered on the advancement of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area's life and health sector alongside its international collaborations, bringing together experts and industry representatives from government regulatory bodies, medical institutions, international organizations, industry associations, life science enterprises, investment firms, and insurance companies. In-depth discussions were held on critical topics including international cooperation in the life science industry, international medical services and health consumption, accessibility of innovative drugs and devices, and multi-tiered medical security, exploring new opportunities for regional synergy and global engagement.
Key dialogue sessions addressed "International Cooperation and Innovative Development of the Greater Bay Area Life Science Industry," "The New Ecosystem of International Medical Services and Health Consumption," "Multi-tiered Medical Security and Industrial Synergy Innovation," and "Exploring Accessibility of Innovative Drugs and Devices and International Medical Service Innovations in the Greater Bay Area." Participants focused on the internationalization of innovative drugs and devices, cross-regional industrial collaboration, international medical services, health consumption, innovative payment mechanisms, and cross-border medical services. The discussions aimed to explore how the Greater Bay Area can further capitalize on its open international environment, vibrant industrial ecosystem, and continuously deepening institutional innovations to promote coordinated action among regulatory bodies, healthcare providers, industry players, capital, and international resources. A key focus was identifying pathways for the life and health industry to progress from R&D and regulatory approval to clinical application, payment security, and patient access.
In the opening segment, Huang Weijian, Director of the Administration Committee of Guangzhou International Bio Island, delivered a speech. He noted that the Greater Bay Area is actively promoting the market access of innovative drugs and devices, cross-border healthcare, and international medical services, leveraging its institutional and industrial strengths. As a key innovation hub for Guangzhou's biomedical industry, the Bio Island has attracted numerous national strategic platforms and over 800 biomedical companies. Moving forward, the island aims to establish a multi-party cooperation platform involving regulators, clinical institutions, industry players, and capital, accelerating the transformation of innovative achievements to benefit patients and sharing the Bay Area's development opportunities with global partners.
Following this, William Adi Teja, Deputy Director for Drug, Narcotics, Psychotropics, Precursors and Addictive Substances Regulation at Indonesia's Food and Drug Authority (BPOM), delivered a video address. He highlighted the broad potential for collaboration between China and Indonesia in areas such as drug and medical device regulation, innovative product development, market access, clinical research, and health technology. He emphasized the importance of enhancing regulatory dialogue, information sharing, and institutional cooperation to create a more favorable environment for cross-border collaboration between life science enterprises of both nations. Teja also underscored that the Greater Bay Area's comprehensive advantages, connecting innovation, regulation, medical services, and international research, provide a vital platform for China-Indonesia cooperation and for fostering a robust life science ecosystem across the Asia-Pacific region.
During the session on "International Cooperation and Innovative Development of the Greater Bay Area Life Science Industry," Yan Zhen, former Party Secretary and Deputy Director of the Guangdong Provincial Drug Administration, delivered a keynote speech titled "New Opportunities in a Changing Landscape: A Strategic Report on Medical Device Going Global." He pointed out that while Chinese medical device companies face challenges from global supply chain restructuring, rising trade barriers, and stricter regulatory oversight, vast global markets, demand from emerging economies, and technological innovation are creating new avenues for growth. He advised that Chinese enterprises should upgrade their products from low value-added to high-tech, high-quality options, and shift from simple exporting to localizing operations, building brands, and expanding their global footprint. Yan Zhen also stressed the need to leverage the Greater Bay Area's strengths in industrial clustering, cross-border synergy, policy innovation, and regulatory services, while strengthening market research, intellectual property protection, and international compliance to collectively build a stronger ecosystem for medical device exports.
A panel discussion on "Bay Area Collaboration Driving International Integration of China's Life Science Industry" was moderated by Liu Chang, Founder & CEO of Access Health International. Participants included Yuan Qing, Party Secretary of the Shenzhen Life Science and Biotechnology Association; Gao Shan, Deputy Representative of the China Office of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America; Chen Sujuan, Senior Executive Director of the Hong Kong Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry; Huo Peiqiong, Chief Representative for GBA and International Business at China Resources Pharmaceutical Commercial Group; and Chen Qian, Investment Director for Project Introduction at the Macau International Center for Technology and Industry. The panelists shared insights on policy innovations and the evolving ecosystem within the Greater Bay Area's life science industry. The discussion centered on key topics such as the HK-Macau Drug and Device Connect policy, cross-border clinical trials, real-world data, international medical services, regulatory harmonization, and corporate globalization. The consensus was to further leverage the comparative strengths of Hong Kong, Macau, and Guangdong in research, clinical practice, regulation, capital, industrial transformation, and international connectivity, promoting the two-way flow of innovative resources. They recommended enhancing coordination among industrial parks, policies, talent, and capital to build a more complete Bay Area ecosystem for Chinese innovative drugs and devices to enter global markets.
Another panel, "International Cooperation and Industrial Transformation Opportunities for Innovative Drugs and Devices," was moderated by Ma Hong, Executive Vice President of Health Advocacy and Engagement for Edelman Asia Pacific. Panelists included Xiao Jia, Director of Life Sciences at IDA Ireland; Yuan Sufen, Business Development Director at Nucleus Network and former Commercial Officer with the Australian Trade and Investment Commission and the Australian Embassy in China; Lu Haikuan, Founding Vice President and Secretary-General of the International Healthcare Innovation and Exchange Association and Hong Kong Partner of Milestone Capital; Li Qin, Executive Director of Investments at Frontline Capital; and Wang Shuwen, Consulting Lawyer at Global Law Office. The focus was on translating the Greater Bay Area's innovative strengths into tangible industrial outcomes. Discussions covered policy support, clinical trials, real-world data, capital empowerment, cross-border manufacturing, and enterprise internationalization. The panelists agreed that the Greater Bay Area possesses unique advantages in institutional flexibility, market scale, capital channels, research resources, and industrial transformation efficiency. However, further advancements are needed in cross-border data flow, harmonization of clinical standards, and one-stop integration of innovative resources. They envision the Greater Bay Area becoming an international hub that connects China with global innovation resources, accelerating both the R&D and commercialization of innovative drugs and devices.
The afternoon session on "International Medical Services and the New Health Consumption Ecosystem" featured a keynote speech by Lu Hongzhou, Director of the National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases and Vice Dean/Department Head of Infectious Diseases at the School of Medicine of Southern University of Science and Technology. His presentation, "Technological Innovation as a Strategic Engine for Medical Development," highlighted cases such as the domestically-produced ECMO system, non-contact vital signs monitoring, phage therapy, rapid tuberculosis diagnostics, and cell and gene therapy. Professor Lu shared practical examples of biomedical technology moving from identifying clinical needs, through collaborative R&D involving industry, academia, and healthcare, to clinical validation and product transformation. He emphasized the importance of leveraging clinical research platforms and addressing real clinical challenges to speed up the conversion of innovative technologies into applicable and scalable diagnostic and treatment products.
The panel discussion on "Development Opportunities for International Medical Services and Health Consumption in the Greater Bay Area" was moderated by Gu Rui, Senior Director of the International Cooperation Department at Access Health International. Panelists included Peng Wangqing, Deputy Director and Researcher at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center; Yin Haiyan, Vice Dean of the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University; Tan Huiyan, Vice Dean of the Hengqin Hospital of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University; Yu Wenying, Head of Health Technology and Chinese Medicine at the Smart Manufacturing Division of the Hong Kong Productivity Council; Han Wei, Vice Dean of the Heart Hospital at Foshan Fosun Chancheng Hospital; Jiang Beibei, Vice President of New Frontier Group and Head of United Family International Medical Services; and Gao Zhe, Founder of Zhendongjie and Wanyixingqiu. The panelists observed that the clientele for international medical services is expanding beyond expatriates and traditional premium segments to include domestic patients with diverse needs and international patients actively seeking care in China. Patients are placing higher importance on clinical competence, efficiency, pricing, experience, and trust. A key recommendation was for medical institutions to define their positioning based on regional advantages and specialized strengths. They also stressed the need to strengthen coordination across cross-border referrals, data sharing, payment systems, insurance, and post-discharge follow-up, collaborating with professional service providers and leveraging digital technology to build a continuous, convenient, and sustainable international medical service system.
In the "Multi-tiered Medical Security and Industrial Synergy Innovation" segment, Wang Sijie, Solutions Director at Medfie Health, delivered a speech titled "Trends in Innovative Therapy Payments and the Commercial Health Insurance Market." Drawing on his company's practical experience in designing and delivering insurance products for innovative therapies, Wang analyzed how the growing demand for cancer treatment, the rapid emergence of novel therapies, and increased market awareness are creating opportunities for product innovation in commercial health insurance. He argued that coverage for innovative therapies must help patients overcome the triple barriers of "not knowing," "not being able to afford," and "not being able to find" these treatments. Such security should be supported by therapy assessment, medical resource coordination, direct insurance billing, and risk management to ensure the accessibility, affordability, and sustainability of innovative treatments.
A final panel, "How Can Innovative Drugs and Devices Achieve 'Accessibility' and 'Affordability'?", was moderated by Li Ruining, Founder and CEO of Huilin Healthcare. Panelists included Zhu Li, Vice President and Secretary-General of the Zhejiang Health Services Promotion Association; Ning Yuguang, General Manager of the High-End Medical Insurance Department in the Health Insurance Division at Taikang Life; Song Yuqi, Deputy General Manager of the Personal Non-Auto Insurance Department at PICC Guangdong Branch; Yan Yong, Deputy General Manager of Reinsurance Pioneer; Li Xiao, Head of Product and Health Reinsurance for Greater China at TransRe; Huang Yuhao, Business Director at Medfie Health; and Ying Guoyuan, Co-founder and CMO of Sangguo Health. The discussion centered on how commercial health insurance can support high-cost innovative drugs and devices, emerging therapies, and coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditions. Key issues addressed included product access assessment, actuarial pricing, risk-sharing mechanisms, and patient services. The panelists concluded that integrating innovative drugs and devices into commercial insurance requires not just payment security but also complete service pathways including screening and assessment, medical navigation, direct billing, and post-diagnosis management. They advocated for an integrated collaboration mechanism involving primary insurers, reinsurers, pharmaceutical and device companies, medical institutions, and third-party service providers. The group also suggested that the Greater Bay Area could leverage its policy advantages of connecting with Hong Kong and Macau to accelerate medical data interoperability, cross-border insurance product innovation, and deep collaboration between the pharmaceutical, medical, and insurance sectors, creating a regional model for enhancing the accessibility and affordability of innovative treatments.
Running alongside the main conference was a closed-door seminar titled "Exploring Innovation in Drug and Device Accessibility and International Medical Services in the Greater Bay Area." Representatives from drug regulatory authorities, medical institutions, international medical groups, and pharmaceutical and device companies across Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau gathered to discuss topics such as Macau's medical device regulatory framework and cross-border cooperation, the application of artificial intelligence in drug market access, and the journey of innovative drugs and devices from regulatory approval to clinical use. The discussion delved into how regulatory innovation and cross-border medical service coordination could further improve patient access to innovative medical products.
The 2026 Health and Life Sciences Conference continued its tradition of fostering multi-stakeholder dialogue, bringing together voices from government, regulatory bodies, healthcare, industry, capital, and insurance. The event provided a deep dive into critical themes such as international cooperation in the Greater Bay Area's life and health industry, the internationalization of innovative drugs and devices, international medical services, health consumption, and multi-tiered medical security. Reflecting on previous conferences, many policy ideas and partnership concepts that were previously exploratory are now materializing into expanding pilot programs, evolving mechanisms, and accelerating industrial practices, signaling ever-deepening synergies and global connections for the region's life and health sector. Looking ahead, Access Health International will continue to focus on the Greater Bay Area, leveraging its role as a platform connecting policy, industry, and international resources. The organization aims to promote the introduction of global innovations and the export of Chinese ingenuity, working with partners to establish the Greater Bay Area as a more open, collaborative, and internationally influential hub for the life and health industry.