A Roche office in China has been visited by the local antitrust regulator in the latest in a series of moves by Chinese authorities against western pharmaceutical companies.

中国一家地方反垄断监管机构最近造访了罗氏(Roche)一间驻华办公室，这是中国当局对西方医药企业采取的最新行动。

The Swiss pharmaceutical group, the world’s biggest maker of cancer treatments, said its sales office in Huangzhou was visited on Tuesday by officials from the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, but that it was unaware of the reason for the call.

这家瑞士药企、世界最大癌症药物生产商表示，国家工商行政管理局(SAIC)的官员们周二造访了其杭州销售办事处，但它不清楚事由。

“We will collaborate fully with authorities for any inquiries,” the group said in a statement.

罗氏在声明中表示：“我们将全面配合当局的任何调查。”

China is attractive for western drug companies, given its vast potential for growth. Roche does not provide precise China sales figures, but said revenues in the country rose 21 per cent last year, compared with 6 per cent globally.

鉴于其巨大的增长潜力，中国对西方药企吸引力巨大。罗氏并不提供具体的在华销售额数字，但它表示，在华收入去年增长21%，而同期全球收入只增长了6%。

However, over the past year, Chinese authorities have taken a series of steps against western pharma groups. In June, it sent shockwaves through the industry when police in the central Chinese city of Changsha announced they had placed company officials at GlaxoSmithKline under investigation for alleged “economic crimes”.

然而，过去一年里，中国当局对西方药企采取了一系列行动。去年6月，华中城市长沙宣布开始调查葛兰素史克(GSK)高管涉嫌“经济犯罪”的情况，在业内引发震动。

Two months later, Saic announced it was investigating possible bribery, fraud and anti-competitive practices in a range of sectors, including the drugs industry.

两个月后，国家工商行政管理局宣布，正在调查包括医药行业在内的一系列行业可能存在的贿赂、欺诈和反竞争行为。

And last week, China ratcheted up the pressure on GSK by accusing it of earning billions of renminbi in “illegal revenues” through a programme of “massive and systemic bribery”.

而就在上周，中国加大了对葛兰素史克的压力，指控该公司通过一个大规模和系统化的行贿计划挣取了数十亿元人民币的“非法”收入。

Shares in Roche closed 0.6 per cent higher at SFr265 in Zürich.

罗氏在苏黎世的股价收于每股265瑞士法郎，上涨0.6%。