NANJING, May 9 (Xinhua) -- British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca broke ground Thursday on a new small molecule factory in the city of Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province, aiming to advance its biopharmaceutical capabilities in the country.

With a total investment of 475 million U.S. dollars, the plant is located in the city's high-tech zone and spans around 30,000 square meters. Scheduled for completion in 2028, it will be equipped with Continuous Direct Compression and Sustainable Packaging facility, with digital and intelligent technologies applied throughout the entire process.

AstraZeneca said it has invested over 1 billion dollars in Wuxi, which now serves as its Chinese headquarters for production, distribution, sales and innovation.

Since entering the Chinese market in 1993, AstraZeneca has invested more than 5 billion dollars in the country and introduced more than 40 innovative medicines. China is now the company's second-largest market globally.

"Wuxi's strategic location, robust infrastructure and talented workforce make it an ideal and competitive hub for the biopharma industry. The investment underscores our confidence in China's role as a key player in our global supply network and landscape," said Tony Pusic, senior vice-president of global operations at AstraZeneca.

The company is accelerating its expansion in China. In March, AstraZeneca signed a landmark agreement to invest 2.5 billion dollars in Beijing over the next five years.

Under the agreement, it will establish a global strategic R&D center in Beijing, its sixth worldwide and second in China after one in Shanghai. The new center, equipped with an advanced artificial intelligence and data science laboratory, will accelerate early-stage drug research and clinical development. ■