While China is gradually reducing market access barriers in many sectors, it simultaneously increases import restrictions in areas of high strategic importance. Med-Tech is a prominent example: To reduce the high dependency on imports, China’s government emphasizes “import substitution” in the high-end med-tech market through directives such as “buy China” and “indigenous innovation” policies. Aligned with China’s overarching industrial strategy, digitalization is an essential part of innovation policy in med-tech, illustrated by the rapid development of online hospitals and remote diagnosis in China.
