Pharmaceuticals, Health Policy and Intellectual Property Rights in China

In 1978 the Chinese government began a series of reforms to restructure its economy away from central planning towards a market system, including an open door policy to encourage foreign trade and investment. Since then the Chinese economy has experienced very rapid growth, which has significantly increased domestic per capita income as well as China’s importance in the global economy. As its share of the world economy continues to grow, China faces a series of major challenges in seeking to balance domestic and global rules, including its stance on the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR).