China has greatly expanded healthcare access and infrastructure, but chronic diseases become more prevalent as the population ages.

Vast regional variations in disease patterns, care pathways and resources means solutions need to understand such differences at source.

A common vision and collaboration based on technology, policy and clinical insight are key to improving care and building a resilient healthcare system.

China’s healthcare system is entering a pivotal phase in its transformation. Over the past two decades, the country has made remarkable strides in expanding infrastructure and improving access. But as its population ages, chronic diseases become more prevalent.

According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs of China, by the end of 2023, the number of people aged 60 and above reached 296.97 million, accounting for 21.1% of the total population; those aged 65 and above reached 216.76 million – or 15.4% of the population.

Meanwhile, a press conference by China’s National Health Commission in late 2023 emphasized that more than 80% of deaths in the country are caused by chronic diseases such as cardiovascular conditions, cancer, and diabetes. The burden of such diseases continues to grow, particularly in under-resourced regions, making equitable access to early detection, diagnosis and long-term care more urgent than ever.

While the overall standard of healthcare rises, expectations from patients and providers alike are growing. The focus is increasingly turning to delivering care that is high-quality, integrated and grounded in real clinical needs across diverse settings

This shift calls for a new way of innovation – one that originates from within China’s healthcare system and is shaped through deep collaboration with those on the front lines of care. With vast regional variation in disease patterns, care pathways and resource configurations, designing solutions that scale with precision requires understanding these differences at the source.

Innovation, in this context, is no longer a one-way transfer of global technologies. It’s a process of co-creation rooted in China’s evolving priorities.

By working with hospitals, institutions and clinicians to identify unmet needs, address clinical bottlenecks, and test solutions in real-world settings, Philips has helped contribute to building a more equitable and high-performing healthcare system.

Taking such an approach means aligning closely with national strategies such as the Healthy China 2030 blueprint, which emphasizes stronger primary care, health equity and cross-sector collaboration to deliver sustainable, people-centred care.

Listening key to co-creation grounded in clinical realities

Lasting innovation begins with insight – and insight begins with listening. At Philips, after nearly four decades in China, we have learned that our most impactful contributions are shaped by both what we deliver and how deeply we engage with those we serve.

Rather than simply introducing products, working side by side with healthcare professionals is essential to co-developing solutions grounded in frontline realities. Such partnerships help explore critical questions: Where are the bottlenecks of care? What decisions carry the greatest clinical benefit? How can technology enhance care without disrupting workflows? And how can the patient experience – especially during diagnostics and treatment – be improved?

Our BlueSeal helium-free magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, for example, recognizes the scarcity of helium as a strategic resource – particularly in China – with a magnet design that requires only seven litres of helium, sealed for life. This reduces installation complexity, eliminates the need for venting infrastructure and extends access to advanced MRI systems to hospitals in more constrained or remote locations.

By now, 2,000 units of helium-free MRI systems have been installed globally, and more than 120 units have already been installed and deployed in China, contributing both to sustainability and diagnostic accessibility.

In western China, we’ve also supported real-time, image-guided interventional procedures through long-distance digital collaboration. In one case, physicians in a leading hospital remotely guided a complex vascular intervention in a remote part of the country. The platform enabled real-time integration of imaging, surgical tools and clinical decision support – enhancing diagnostic speed, reducing risk and expanding access to advanced care.

Such partnerships illustrate the power of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled ecosystems and tele-intervention platforms in overcoming geographic barriers, ensuring all patients – wherever they live – receive the same standard of precision care.

Scaling healthcare innovation through ecosystem collaboration

Creating long-term impact in healthcare requires more than technology. It takes systems thinking, deep clinical insight and scaleable models enabled by collaboration. That’s why it is vital to build ecosystems that work together with hospitals, research institutions, clinicians and public agencies around a shared goal: better care for more people.

Our computed tomography (CT) scan R&D centre in Shenyang exemplifies this model. As both a hub for local innovation and a contributor to global technology platforms, it embeds engineers alongside clinicians to co-develop imaging solutions that respond to real clinical demands in China, while setting new benchmarks internationally. Taking such an approach – local insight with global relevance – highlights China’s growing role as a global innovation engine.

In maternal and paediatric health, we’re working with provincial health bureaus and academic hospitals to pilot scaleable care models. In Sichuan and Gansu provinces, our tele-ultrasound platforms connect grassroots clinicians with remote specialists to improve early detection of congenital heart conditions and pregnancy risks. These programmes integrate clinical protocols, digital infrastructure and physician training to deliver system-wide value – extending life-saving care and building local capacity.

This emphasis on community-driven innovation resonates with global sentiment. According to Philips’ 2025 Future Health Index, healthcare leaders increasingly recognize the importance of collaboration across the ecosystem – including providers, policy-makers, researchers and industry partners – to build trust, drive innovation and meet evolving stakeholder needs. This global imperative reinforces the importance of our integrated efforts in China, where strong partnerships continue to serve as the cornerstone of meaningful healthcare impact.

To make healthcare transformation sustainable, innovation must be embedded within systems – supported by long-term partnerships and a commitment to measurable outcomes. This is why Philips seeks to go beyond product deployment: by helping accelerate clinical decision-making through AI, improving efficiency via workflow-integrated tools and expanding clinical capacity through embedded education.

In one such initiative, portable ultrasound systems paired with remote diagnostics not only improved prenatal care in under-resourced areas of Sichuan, but also trained village doctors through tele-mentoring – demonstrating how scaleable technology, paired with local insight, can extend impact far beyond urban centres.

Driving equitable and measurable impact on China’s healthcare

As China advances toward a healthcare system that is more inclusive, high-performing and resilient, the path forward depends on collaboration with purpose.

Real progress happens when equity becomes action – when technology, policy and clinical insight converge to improve care for every patient, everywhere. No single institution can achieve this alone. It requires shared commitment, built on trust, co-creation and a common vision for outcome-driven care.

Moving forward, partnerships will be key to to unlocking clinical value, scaling proven solutions, and helping turn shared goals into real-world outcomes across China’s healthcare ecosystem. Because healthcare transformation isn’t about speed – it’s about meaningful, collective progress. And the difference we can all make, by working together.