According to a paper released by the China State Food and Drug Administration drug and device exports jumped to $24.6 billion last year from $3.4 billion in 1998. Recent years have witnessed a marked increase in the total output value and trade volume of China's pharmaceutical industry, which is divided into seven categories: Chinese patent medicines, prepared slices of Chinese crude drugs, bulk chemical drug substances, chemical drug preparations, biologicals, medical devices, and hygienic materials. China produces more than 3,000 types of medical devices, among which high-tech diagnosis and treatment products such as the digital X-ray, magnetic resonance, ultrasonic, and computed tomography apparatus hold considerable market shares. By the end of 2007, China had 12,591 companies producing medical devices, and 6,913 pharmaceutical companies (including producers of prepared slices of Chinese crude drugs and oxygen for medical use), of which 4,682 were producers of active pharmaceutical ingredients and preparations.

Read the English version of the whitepaper.