A pilot program for non-resident mergers and acquisitions (M&A) loans has been launched in Shanghai's Lin-gang Special Area, supporting the area's efforts to align with high-standard international economic and trade rules and further facilitate cross-border investment and financing.

A panoramic view of Dishui Lake in Lin-gang Special Area at dusk. [Photo/WeChat ID: shlgguanweihui]

Edding, a full-chain pharmaceutical enterprise, was in need of substantial funding in order to acquire two originator drugs from overseas. In the past, companies struggled to secure loans for cross-border pharmaceutical acquisitions, but the situation in Lin-gang is now shifting. A banking syndicate has provided the company with the equivalent of $105 million in loans.

Under the pilot program, companies can directly access domestic bank financing for overseas drug acquisitions. The financing ratio has been raised from 60 percent to 80 percent, while loan tenors have been extended from seven to 10 years, allowing financial support to be more effectively channeled into the biomedicine sector.

As of the third quarter of 2025, institutions under the program in Lin-gang had issued 13 loans totaling approximately 7.2 billion yuan ($1.03 billion).