Within the Beijing Economic and Technological Development Area (BDA), housed in the District Historical Museum, lies a display case on the first floor of Unit 1. This case proudly holds a handwritten work diary. It meticulously chronicles the 1995 visit led by the BDA's Administrative Commission to Germany, which aimed at attracting investment from Bayer.

The mission achieved remarkable success, ultimately bring Bayer into the zone. Below this historically significant document, an inscription reads, "In 1995, a record of the efforts to bring Bayer into the BDA (donated by Zhang Jun)".

"The BDA now boasts four major leading industries, and the biopharmaceutical industry is particularly unique as it was an unplanned achievement," reminisced Zhang Jun, the deputy executive director of the Publicity and Culture Department of the BDA CPC Working Committee. Zhang, who was facilitating Bayer's establishment in the zone, added, "Back then, apart from GE, the BDA had hardly any other pharmaceutical companies, and had not yet to recognized pharmaceuticals as a focal industry."

In 1993, development zones from across China convened in Europe for a massive investment promotion event, with the BDA among the participants. On the final afternoon, Bayer made an appearance at the event. They were seeking a potential partner but arrived on the last day when many development zones had already departed, leaving behind a trove of promotional materials.

At the BDA's booth, though, the team was diligently packing up and neatly organizing all their materials, a detail that promptly caught the eye of the Germans, known for their thriftiness and aversion to waste.

[Photo/beijingetown.com.cn]

"It was in that very moment that they sensed that the BDA embraced a culture of thriftiness, a value system that aligned with traditional European values. This seemingly insignificant detail played a pivotal role in attracting Bayer to set foot in the BDA," recalled Zhang Jun. He described how the Germans initiated a conversation with Ma Lin, the deputy director of the Administrative Commission, who was leading the delegation.

Mr Ma, a scholarly leader who graduated from Tsinghua University, engaged in insightful discussions with the German representatives regarding their field of expertise, further igniting their interest. After a delightful conversation, the company decided to visit the BDA.

In fact, Bayer had already conducted assessments in several other development zones, including Tianjin and Shanghai. Their visit to the exhibition was initially exploratory. However, this brief observation quickly paved the way for mutual cooperation.

Upon arriving in the zone, Bayer, known for its rigorous industry standards, transported samples of water, soil, and tree specimens from the area back to Germany for testing. "If the environment didn't meet the standards, the pharmaceutical products produced here would undoubtedly be subpar." Once the test results confirmed that the BDA met the environmental standards, Bayer and the BDA embarked on extensive negotiations.

Throughout the lengthy negotiation process, there were no extravagant feasts. The only scene where both sides dined together was during lunch, and they promptly resumed negotiations after eating. On the final day of negotiations, Bayer's negotiation representative joyfully remarked to Zhang Jun, "Tonight, we can enjoy a hearty beer together because we've decided to establish a pharmaceutical factory in the BDA." That's how Bayer's pharmaceutical production and packaging facility commenced construction in the BDA.

"Bayer's presence brought unexpected benefits, not only to China but also to the BDA," remarked Zhang Jun. Once Bayer's project found a home in the zone, they generously shared their expertise in aseptic production, effectively resolving China's challenges in aseptic pharmaceutical manufacturing. "The second advantage was the attraction of numerous pharmaceutical companies to settle down here, making the biopharmaceutical industry one of the BDA's prominent sectors."

"If we hadn't upheld thriftiness at the time, Bayer might not have discovered our distinct qualities," Zhang Jun mused.

Today, the BDA is home to over 1,100 biopharmaceutical enterprises, forming a comprehensive industry chain spanning biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, and healthcare.