Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni attributed East African countries' dominance in long-distance running to the fact that many athletes from the region are born in high-altitude areas, training from a young age in low-oxygen environments, which enhances their lung efficiency.
In what could be deemed one of the most grueling track events of the Olympic Games, Joshua Cheptegei, Uganda's leading athlete and world record holder, clinched gold in the men's 10,000m final at the Paris Olympic Games, recording the fastest time ever in Olympic history at 26:43.14.
In an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), President Museveni shed light on the secret formula behind East African countries such as Uganda, Kenya, and Ethiopia producing the world's top long-distance runners through their training methods.
"We are taking advantage of the higher altitude. This is part of biology. Some of those people who are doing good running are born in mountain areas. If you are born in a mountain area, up in the mountain, the oxygen is less. There's more oxygen at sea level than in the mountain. So, their lungs from childhood learn how to use little oxygen. They have got more efficient lungs. They are all from highland areas who can run those long distances," Museveni said.
Museveni also highlighted Uganda's commitment to investing in a high-altitude training center to further elevate the performance of their athletes.
"We have built a high-altitude training center in that area where Cheptegei comes from. We have built a training center there, 2,000 something meters above sea level," he said.
Ugandan President credits East Africa's long-distance running success to high-altitude environment
China's foreign investment policies are empowering biomedical enterprises to expand domestically and globally.
The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) held a Foreign Invested Enterprises Tour of south China's Guangdong Province on Wednesday, presenting business opportunities as well as the country's consistent policies for further opening up in a world wracked by economic uncertainty.
China continues to welcome foreign investment, and its biomedical sector, including pet healthcare, is set to grow and expand.
Joey Yeo is among hundreds of international business leaders on the tour. As the founder of two pet healthcare startups in Shanghai, Joey leverages China's pro-foreign direct investment (FDI) measures.
"I think the openness with the local government and the business district has been very fruitful," said Yeo, CEO of HEAL Management Group.
With streamlined approvals and regulatory guidance, Yeo's company plans to scale operations across multiple cities.
"Not just Shanghai, but we used to see other cities as well coming to us and asking us, giving us more opportunities and more understanding how we can actually set a bigger landscape," he said.
Yeo's story reflects broader trends - China's FDI policies have reduced entry barriers, while banks like Bank of East Asia (BEA) offer tailored financial solutions.
"I don't think any multinational company or foreign investors can ignore the huge market capacity, the huge potential of greater China. So we are going through the fintech transformation and by adapting AI, big data, block chains - those kind of technology, we can better help those SMEs in need," said Bi Mingqiang, CEO of BEA(China).
As China prioritizes openness, biomedical firms and financial institutions are forging a symbiotic growth model, proving resilient in a fragmented global economy.
Biomedical companies thrive under China's FDI policies
