Economy

Medtronic Bets Big on China: How the CIIE Is Fueling Healthcare Innovation and Market Dominance

Medtronic uses CIIE to enter China, showcasing innovations & expanding its presence in the growing market.

byAndres Castro

November 9, 2025, 7:57 AM

A close-up of the Medtronic sign at the Irvine office of the medical device company. By Tada Images / Shutterstock.com.

Executive Summary

Medtronic is leveraging the China International Import Expo (CIIE) as a crucial entry point and accelerator for introducing its most advanced and innovative medical products into the Chinese market.

Medtronic announced its largest-ever participation at the eighth CIIE, showcasing over 100 innovative items and having debuted more than 70 new products and treatments through the expo over the past eight years.

With 36 years of operations in China, Medtronic is increasing its investment, launching its first digital healthcare innovation base in Beijing, and views China as poised to become the world’s largest medical market and a pivotal hub for global innovation.

The Story So Far

Medtronic’s expanded participation at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) and its increased investment in the region are driven by the company’s strategy to leverage CIIE as a key platform for introducing innovative medical products into the Chinese market. This engagement is further encouraged by China’s stated commitment to economic opening and improving its business environment, which Medtronic views as an opportunity in what it anticipates will become the world’s largest medical market and a pivotal innovation hub.

Why This Matters

Medtronic’s expanding participation in the China International Import Expo, including its largest-ever presence and new digital healthcare innovation base, signals strong confidence among global medical technology giants in China’s stated commitment to economic opening and its potential to become the world’s largest medical market and a pivotal innovation hub. This engagement underscores the CIIE’s role as a crucial market entry point, accelerating the introduction of advanced medical products and treatments into China’s healthcare landscape.

Who Thinks What?

Medtronic believes the China International Import Expo (CIIE) is a crucial platform to accelerate the introduction of its innovative products into China, viewing the country as an increasingly open market and a pivotal hub for global medical innovation.

The Chinese government aims to demonstrate its confidence and determination in economic opening and inclusiveness, using platforms like CIIE to attract foreign investment and showcase an improving business environment.

Foreign enterprises generally view the CIIE as a vital mechanism for market access and a testament to China’s stated policies of openness, leading to significant investment in the Chinese medical market.

U.S. medical technology giant Medtronic is leveraging the China International Import Expo (CIIE) as a crucial entry point to the Chinese market, underscoring the country’s stated commitment to economic opening and international collaboration. The company announced its largest-ever participation at the eighth CIIE, which runs from November 5 to 10, 2025, in Shanghai, showcasing a record portfolio of innovative products.

Medtronic’s Strategic Engagement

CIIE as an Innovation Accelerator

Cao Shan, vice president of corporate affairs and communications for Medtronic Greater China, stated during a recent “China Economic Roundtable” hosted by Xinhua News Agency that the CIIE platform enables the company to “accelerate the introduction of our most advanced and innovative products into China.” Medtronic’s presence at this year’s expo marks its most extensive to date, featuring its largest exhibition area and displaying over 100 innovative items.

Over the past eight years, Medtronic has used the CIIE to debut more than 70 new products and treatments, contributing to a total of over 500 innovative offerings showcased at the event. This consistent participation reflects a strategic approach to embedding its latest technologies within the Chinese healthcare landscape.

Long-Term Commitment to the Chinese Market

Reflecting on 36 years of operations in China, Cao Shan highlighted that Medtronic’s continued engagement with CIIE has allowed it to observe “the Chinese government’s confidence and determination in pursuing opening up and inclusiveness, as well as the tangible improvements in the country’s business environment.” This perspective informs Medtronic’s decision to increase its investment in the region.

The company recently launched its first digital healthcare innovation base in Beijing on October 25, signaling further expansion. Cao Shan expressed a firm belief that “China is poised to become the world’s largest medical market and a pivotal hub for global innovation,” reinforcing Medtronic’s long-term strategic focus on the country.

Concluding Perspective

Medtronic’s sustained and expanding involvement in the China International Import Expo illustrates how foreign enterprises view the event as a vital mechanism for market access and a testament to China’s stated policies of openness. The company’s significant investment and optimistic outlook on the Chinese medical market underscore the ongoing interplay between global corporations and China’s evolving economic landscape.