How Chinese Enterprises Can Better Play a Role in Global Pandemic Response: BRICS Countries Special Online Forum Successfully Concludes

On May 9, 2020, the International Joint Action Against COVID-19 hosted an online forum themed “How Chinese Enterprises Can Better Play Their Role in the Global Fight Against the Pandemic: A Special Session on BRICS Countries’ Epidemic Response.” The event was organized by the Chinese Health Law Society and the Medical Laboratory Industry Association of the China National Health Industry Enterprise Management Association, and co-organized by the Shanghai Dongfang Medical Innovation Research Institute, the Shenzhen Life Sciences and Biotechnology Association, OSCADA, and BGI Win-Win. During the event, Li Jin, Dean of the Win-Win Research Institute; Gu Xinzhong, Managing Director of OSCADA; and He Xun, Founding President of the Shenzhen Life Sciences and Biotechnology Association, delivered thematic presentations and engaged in discussions from multiple perspectives on the epidemic response efforts in BRICS countries.

Prior to the forum, Sha Yushen, Executive Vice President and Secretary-General of the Chinese Health Law Association, delivered the opening address. President Sha summarized the anti-epidemic activities carried out over the past month under the joint initiative, highly commending the responsiveness and cohesion demonstrated by all participating entities. He expressed the hope that these organizations would maintain their strong cohesion and execution capabilities in the future, thereby providing necessary epidemic prevention supplies and sharing valuable experience with countries in need around the world.

At the opening of the forum, Mr. Li Jin, Dean of the Win-Win Research Institute, released the “BRICS Pandemic Analysis Report,” jointly authored by the Joint Action initiative and the Win-Win Research Institute, and shared its key insights online. The report comprises three sections: successful pandemic control experiences from China, South Korea, and Germany; the epidemic phases in each of the BRICS countries; and recommendations for pandemic response tailored to the BRICS nations.

Dean Li stated that Russia, India, South Africa, and other populous nations are currently facing the severe challenge of local COVID-19 outbreaks. As fellow BRICS members and close friends of the Chinese people, these countries can expect China to share its epidemic control experience to support joint prevention and mitigation efforts, helping all parties navigate this difficult period together.

The second session of the online forum featured a keynote address by Mr. Gu Xinzhong, Managing Director of Ozda. In this segment, Mr. Gu delivered a presentation on strategies and key considerations for registering Chinese medical epidemic prevention supplies in the BRICS countries. During his insightful 15-minute sharing, Mr. Gu pointed out that as populous nations gradually entering the outbreak phase of the epidemic, the BRICS countries have substantial demand for epidemic prevention materials. He advised domestic enterprises to appropriately focus on markets in Third World countries, represented by the BRICS nations, while continuing to prioritize European and American markets. Subsequently, Mr. Gu detailed the medical device regulatory systems and market access requirements for Chinese companies in Russia, Brazil, India, and South Africa, aiming to provide valuable insights to the online audience comprising manufacturers of various epidemic prevention supplies.

In the subsequent session, Mr. He Xun, Founding President of the Shenzhen Association for Life Sciences and Biotechnology, delivered a keynote address on the opportunities and challenges facing Chinese medical products in their expansion into international markets. Mr. He stated that domestic manufacturers of epidemic prevention supplies—whether COVID-19 diagnostic products, personal protective equipment (PPE), or various therapeutics and vaccines such as remdesivir, Lianhua Qingwen, and COVID-19 vaccines—faced fleeting opportunities during the pandemic, while also risking overcapacity due to ill-timed market entry.

As of today, neither remdesivir nor Lianhua Qingwen can be regarded as specific curative drugs; they only exhibit certain effects. Given that vaccine development typically takes one to two years and requires careful mitigation of the risk of antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE), the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be resolved overnight and is likely to persist for several years. Therefore, against the backdrop of COVID-19 gradually evolving into a non-transitory event, domestic enterprises in China will face increased “crises” and “opportunities” in the future.

The final segment of the online forum was a roundtable discussion themed on bridging differences and divides to promote global collaborative efforts against the pandemic, along with recommendations for domestic manufacturers of epidemic prevention supplies. This session was moderated by Mr. Ji Changtao, Investment Director at BGI Win-Win, and featured in-depth discussions with Mr. Sha Yushen, Vice President of the Chinese Health Law Society; Mr. Liu Yu, Founding Partner of BGI Win-Win; Mr. Xiao Liang, Dean of the Shanghai Dongfang Medical Innovation Research Institute; Mr. Gu Xinzhong, Managing Director of Osmunda; and Mr. He Xun, Founding President of the Shenzhen Life Science and Biotechnology Association.

First, President Xiao Liang pointed out that in the post-pandemic era, enterprises should focus on enhancing their initiative and innovation awareness. During this pandemic, many innovative technologies and applied products have emerged in areas such as public safety testing, air disinfection, diagnosis, and personal protection. The medical device sector itself has high technical barriers and significant room for innovative development. Therefore, in the post-pandemic period, technology reserves and technological innovation should be key considerations for companies within the industry.

Mr. Gu Xinzhong, Managing Director of Osida, pointed out that the protective products industry, especially the mask manufacturing sector, was likely the most directly affected by pandemic-related fluctuations during the outbreak. However, in the post-pandemic era, companies should look beyond masks and give greater consideration to the pulsed nature of epidemic development. Enterprises should make proactive assessments of such pulsed trends to better plan their future growth strategies.

Mr. Liu Yu, Founding Partner of BGI Win-Win, pointed out that during the pandemic era, many companies earned quick, pulse-like profits, with revenues experiencing explosive growth in a short period. However, in the post-pandemic era, this pulse-like growth model is certainly unsustainable. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for every entrepreneur.

Molecular diagnostics and nucleic acid testing will present significant opportunities for the industry in the near future, allowing domestic companies to enjoy a period of substantial benefits. However, the key determinant of further corporate growth will be whether these enterprises can leverage this favorable window to strengthen their technological reserves and drive innovation in the post-pandemic era.

Meanwhile, this epidemic also presents an opportunity for enterprises to expand overseas. It is hoped that Chinese companies will seize this opportunity to establish a firm foothold internationally with high-quality Made-in-China products, thereby further expanding their presence in the global market during the post-pandemic phase.

Following a lively discussion among the experts, Mr. Ji Changtao, the moderator, delivered an insightful summary of the day’s forum and expressed his gratitude to all online attendees. The online event then concluded successfully.

For further information on the “BRICS Pandemic Analysis Report” co-authored by Joint Action and the Win-Win Research Institute, please visit the official website of Joint Action at http://www.imac19.com/ or consult online with the International Joint Action Against the Epidemic – Assistant.