# AstraZeneca CEO urges Western drugmakers to match China’s pace

The chief executive of AstraZeneca has called on Western pharmaceutical companies to accelerate their drug development and approval processes to match the speed of their Chinese counterparts. The comment underscores the growing competitiveness of China’s biotech sector and the pressure on Western firms to innovate faster globally.

**Importance:** 3/5

## Sources

### World
- [The Guardian World](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jul/27/astrazeneca-boss-urges-western-drugmakers-to-move-at-chinese-speed) — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 12:09:41 GMT