Chinese medical equipment makers are increasingly challenging US, European, and Japanese competitors in hospitals around the world, extending Beijing’s technological prowess to yet another industry.
While treatment centers long relied on machines from GE, Siemens, and Philips, some are now embracing machines like Shanghai-based United Imaging Healthcare’s CT scanners, which can perform full-body scans in five minutes versus the 20 it takes conventional equipment.
Policy support — including mandating some Chinese hospitals to use domestic products — has lifted the industry, with China’s exports of hospital equipment hitting more than $24 billion last year.
Still, building trust in global markets remains a challenge for Chinese exporters: “We’re not saying we’re switching, but we’re diversifying,” a Hong Kong hospital CEO told Nikkei.
