China and the global stem cell bioeconomy: an emerging political strategy?

Abstract

There is a growing consensus, amongst policy analysts and scientists alike, that China is likely to play a key role in the scientific, clinical and commercial development of stem cell research. However, to date, there exist few detailed analyses of China's current investment in the field. After introducing the UK's recent political strategy on stem cell science, this article develops an in-depth discussion of the formal organization of China's research and development in the area, as well as its rapidly evolving commercial, regulatory and ethical environment. From here, we go on to assess the probability of China's emergence as a global player in the increasingly internationalized business of stem cell biomedicine.