Bioindustry in China: An overview and perspective.

With its vast population of over 1.4 billion, China is predicted soon to become the biggest single-country market in the world. The large population offers not only immense economic opportunity but also poses serious challenges related to resource depletion, pollution, and environmental degradation. To solve these burgeoning problems, biotechnology appears to be particularly well-positioned, since the Chinese government and large Chinese companies provide strong support towards the development of this field in terms both of policy and finance. Moreover, active research and commercial applications have led to rapid development of the Chinese bioindustry and bioeconomy. Chinese bioindustry is considered to be at the forefront of those of the developing and emerging countries and has added value to the country's economy and society. This study summarizes the development and current status of Chinese bioindustry, from research and development to recent market trends. It thus can be considered as a quick-glance resource for the various stakeholders in the biotechnology sector.