The leading German science and technology company Merck Group said on Thursday that it will continue to invest in China and is exploring ways to form new partnerships.

"We have always been very committed to China," Belen Garijo, chair of the Executive Board and CEO of Merck told Xinhua in an interview on the sidelines of a press conference presenting the annual report for fiscal year 2025.

Merck Group has built a healthcare business in China from the scratch, offering essential medicines to patients, Garijo said, "and our intention is to continue to invest also on life, science and electronics."

Garijo said that Merck Group is "confident in the long-term economic growth in China, which is a very important source of revenue for the company.

For Garijo, China as a source of global innovation represents an opportunity for the company to partner with Chinese companies to develop new medicines and technologies that can be used for the rest of the world.

Merck Group which has business in several different sectors including life science, healthcare and electronics, reported a decline of sales and profit.

Net sales dropped by 0.3 percent to 21.1 billion euros ($24.5 billion) and profit after tax plunged by 6.1 percent to 2.6 billion euros ($3.0 billion) in fiscal year 2025. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) grew by 2.1 percent 5.9 billion euros ($6.8 billion) in 2025.

The company "delivered on its guidance for 2025 and achieved organic growth despite significant headwinds," said a press release from Merck. "We once again demonstrated our resilience in 2025 in the face of significant geopolitical challenges and strong currency headwinds," noted Garijo.

The company has unveiled a modest guidance for 2026 when it aims at 20-21.1 billion euros ($23-24.5 billion) in net sales.