Danish pharmaceutical giant deepens investment in China, targeting chronic disease

Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk is ramping up its presence in China, with billions invested over the past two years to meet rising healthcare demands and expand its full value chain operations.

China's biopharmaceutical sector is seeing a wave of foreign investment, with global healthcare leaders zeroing in on the country's growing demand for innovative medicines. Among them, Denmark-based Novo Nordisk stands out as an ambitious competitor, having announced significant expansions in China.

In 2024, the company committed approximately 4 billion yuan (560 million U.S. dollars) to its site in Tianjin Municipality. This July, it followed up with another 800 million yuan investment to expand its quality control laboratory at the same facility, proof of Novo Nordisk's long-term commitment to the market.

"China has a huge medical need when it comes to chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity. For a company like Novo, that comes with opportunities, but also the big responsibilities," said Helge Lund, chairman of Novo Nordisk.

China's government has ramped up efforts to open the biopharmaceutical sector, as outlined in its Action Plan for Stabilizing Foreign Investment in 2025, which includes initiatives to facilitate the launch of innovative drugs and revise policies for greater sector openness.

Lund praised these efforts, underscoring China's long-term health strategies.

"We really applaud the strong objectives, the clear targets, the good plans, and the actions that the Chinese government [is taking to deal with the chronic diseases,] such as the Healthy Initiative 2030 that the government is leading. And as a long-term partner, Novo Nordisk would like to continue to contribute into that challenge. We have been in China for more than 30 years. We have a full value chain including research and development, innovation, manufacturing as well as commercial operations," he said.

As China continues its path toward modernization, Lund underscored the potential for greater collaboration. Novo Nordisk, he emphasized, will continue to focus on innovation and partnerships in China to create shared success and help address pressing public health needs.

Danish pharmaceutical giant deepens investment in China, targeting chronic disease

A Japanese lawmaker has raised concerns over Japan's push to expand its military and its nuclear policy.

Responding to some politicians' dangerous tendency towards possessing nuclear weapons, Takara Sachika, a member of Japan's House of Councilors, said that Japan's push to strengthen its military, combined with what she called a misguided nuclear policy, not only heightens regional tensions but also directly threatens regional security.

"I think this is completely unacceptable. Japan is a country that has suffered atomic bombings and is one of the nations most aware of the threat posed by nuclear weapons. Yet such a country is openly discussing the issue of possessing nuclear weapons and even attempting to revise the principle of not allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons, one of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles. This is an extremely serious problem," Takara said.

Takara said the Japanese government's tendency to expand its military capabilities is completely contrary to the Constitution.

"From the perspective of Japan's Constitution, Japan should never have adopted a policy of ensuring security by strengthening military capabilities. Yet today, enormous effort is being poured into military expansion, and that in itself is a serious problem," said the lawmaker.

At a Diet meeting in early November 2025, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that what she described as the Chinese central authorities' "use of force on Taiwan" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, and suggested the possibility of armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait, drawing strong criticism worldwide.

Takara urged Takaichi to retract her erroneous remarks as soon as possible.

"I think there is a very big problem with making such remarks that provoke other countries. It is necessary to thoroughly examine the facts as soon as possible and withdraw the relevant remarks," she said.

Japanese lawmaker criticizes nuclear weapons remarks as threat to regional security