Healthcare, life sciences lure global investors

Healthcare and life sciences are forecast to continue to be a leading area for Chinese companies' overseas mergers and acquisitions in 2022. That is particularly so as digitalization is expected to help medical services excel at finding cures for diseases, providing top-notch healthcare, and attracting diversified and multidisciplinary investment in the sector, experts said.

The announced value of Chinese companies' overseas mergers and acquisitions reached $57 billion in 2021, up 19 percent year-on-year but down 28 percent compared to 2019, according to a report from the international professional services firm EY.

Ernst & Young Global Limited, doing business as EY, is a multinational professional services network with headquarters in London, England. EY is one of the largest professional services networks in the world. Along with Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers, it is considered one of the Big Four accounting firms. It primarily provides assurance, tax, consulting and advisory services to its clients. Like many of the larger accounting firms in recent years, EY has expanded into markets adjacent to accounting, including strategy, operations, HR, technology, and financial services consulting. 四大会计师事务所：普华永道PwC、德勤DTT、毕马威KPMG、安永 (EY)。

KPMG stands for "KLYNVELD PEAT MARWICK GOERDELER". It is formed with the merger of Klynveld Main Goerdeler (KMG) and Peat Marwick International (PMI). 不是弼马温。:-)

Though challenges exist, EY identified investment trends that justify cautious optimism for 2022, with healthcare and life sciences expected to be a major investment target, said Loletta Chow, global leader of the company's China overseas investment network.

The value and volume of China's overseas M&A [mergers and acquisitions] deals in healthcare and life sciences have been growing for two consecutive years, EY reported. In 2021, the sector's value increased by 240 percent year-on-year, and the volume grew by 64 percent, a historic high. Investments were made in countries including the United States, South Korea and India.

"The global medical supply chain is moving toward regionalization and localization. This can create opportunities for Chinese medical enterprises both in going out and bringing in," EY said. "Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed individual health awareness and behavior over the long term, and demand for healthcare services is mounting, paving the way for a comprehensive healthcare upgrade via digitalization."

One typical deal was an acquisition last year of a 47-percent stake in Hugel Inc, South Korea's top botox maker, from Bain Capital for about $1.5 billion. The stake was acquired by a consortium led by CBC Group [康桥资本], a Chinese firm dedicated to healthcare investments. Hugel's numerous medical aesthetic products have the lion's share of the market in South Korea as well as having worldwide reach.

贝恩资本(Bain Capital)是美国一家私人股权投资公司，总部设于马萨诸塞州波士顿。

The lion's share (of sth) is the largest or best part of sth when it is divided, 最大或最好的一份。

Botox is a substance that is injected into the face in order to make the skin look smoother. BOTOX瘦脸针指的是肉毒素Botox(又译为“保妥适”)注射。

我是不是对health和care有啥误解？“巴适”(四川话)的大体意思是舒服、妥帖、漂亮、合适。

六级/考研单词: forecast, merge, excel, cure, invest, expertise, billion, accord, tentative, globe, headquarters, consult, adjacent, pessimism, consecutive, unite, heal, mount, pave, comprehensive, upgrade, dedicate, aesthetic, inject