"We are dealing with those issues in order to get these products registered," he said.

Looking towards the road ahead, participants in the CEO Roundtable agreed that dialogue among the public, government and business community is essential if China is to successfully reform its healthcare system.

"There should be more platforms for communication between the citizens for sure and the businesses, between the different stakeholders with the government and among the stakeholders," Novartis' Jeffery Li said. "Then we can begin to understand what the issues are, and we can begin to openly discuss them and that is very critical to getting to a balanced solution."

Chris Lee of Bayer said that while Bayer has been actively involved in tackling the issue of healthcare reforms in China, it is a challenge that must be faced by everyone involved, including the government, citizens and businesses.

"We know this is one of those areas that we cannot solve the problem on our own," he said.

Novartis' Li voiced the sentiment of the CEO Roundtable by saying that with the 11th Five-Year Plan on the horizon it is a crucial time for citizens and businesses to get involved in the process of healthcare reform.

"I believe the biggest risk as we go toward that fundamental solution of a healthcare plan is the lack of participation and also dialogue from all of the stakeholders," Li said.

1

2

3

4

5

(For more biz stories, please visit Industry Updates)