As China accelerates the development of new quality productive forces and advances high-level opening-up, the country continues to create a favorable environment for innovation and international cooperation.

In an exclusive interview with China Daily on the sidelines of the China Development Forum 2026, Jér?me Bouyer, senior vice-president of US pharmaceutical company AbbVie and president of International Therapeutics, talked about China's innovation ecosystem and the company's growing presence in the country.

Bouyer said China's open and inclusive collaboration environment, along with its strong innovation-driven growth momentum, has left a deep impression on the company.

Supported by China's dynamic life sciences innovation ecosystem, AbbVie has been deepening partnerships with local biotech companies. Since mid-2024, the company has signed research and development cooperation agreements worth nearly $10 billion with Chinese biotech firms, highlighting China's increasingly important role in global pharmaceutical innovation.