Merck to expand China investment, Xinhua reports

Merck KGaA

05/03/2026 15:13

BEIJING, March 5 (Reuters) - German healthcare company Merck KGaA MRCG.DE is planning to expand investment in China, the country's state-run news agency Xinhua reported on Thursday, citing an interview with the group's CEO, Belén Garijo.

Garijo said in the interview that Merck was actively seeking opportunities to cooperate with Chinese companies, Xinhua reported.

Merck invested about 70 million euros ($81.16 million) in 2023 to expand a reagent manufacturing facility in eastern China's Jiangsu province, after an approximately 100 million euro investment in a manufacturing centre in the Chinese city of Wuxi the previous year.

In October 2023, Merck said it struck a collaboration deal with Chinese drugmaker Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals 600276.SS to develop, manufacture and commercialise Hengrui's drug candidate HRS-1167.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, accompanied by a large business delegation, called for partnership and dialogue with China on a visit to Beijing in February.

($1 = 0.8625 euros)

 (Reporting by Yukun Zhang and Ryan Woo)

 ((yukun.zhang@thomsonreuters.com))