07:43 AM EDT, 03/21/2025 (MT Newswires) -- (Update with AstraZeneca's ( AZN ) response to a request for comment.)

AstraZeneca ( AZN ) will invest $2.5 billion in a new research center in Beijing just months after the company's top executive there was detained by Chinese authorities, Bloomberg reported Friday.

"This $2.5 billion investment reflects our belief in the world-class life sciences ecosystem in Beijing, the extensive opportunities that exist for collaboration and access to talent, and our continued commitment to China," Chief Executive Pascal Soriot said in a statement shared with MT Newswires. "Our sixth strategic R&D centre will partner with the cutting-edge biology and AI science in Beijing and be a critical part of our global efforts to bring innovative medicines to patients worldwide."

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