Stronger local capabilities and steadier China-US ties could support innovation worldwide by connecting China's research and manufacturing strengths with global expertise, a senior executive of a United States-based technology company said.

Jonah Kirkwood, senior vice-president and chief commercial officer at Agilent Technologies, a California-headquartered company in analytical and clinical laboratory technology, said China's skilled workforce, extensive supply chains and readiness to adopt new technologies further underpin its commitment to the market.

"Today, China is both an important market for us and an integral part of our global supply chain, manufacturing and innovation network," Kirkwood said.

According to the company, the Chinese market delivered 9 percent year-on-year revenue growth on a core basis in the quarter ended July 31, driven by double-digit growth in pharmaceutical and food markets.

"A more stable bilateral relationship would give us greater confidence to advance long-term collaboration," Kirkwood added, calling for sustained dialogue to create a more transparent and predictable business environment.

Greater policy certainty and smoother movement of people and commerce would help companies plan long-term investments and allow researchers and businesses in both countries to work together on shared challenges, he said.

For Agilent, that cooperation runs in both directions — global technologies help meet Chinese customers' needs, while insights from China inform products and solutions for international markets.

Within the company, Chinese customers are increasingly helping define research problems and develop solutions, Kirkwood said, with their needs feeding into global product plans.

"This means that China is an important market for applying advanced technologies and also a source of customer insight, engineering experience and innovative ideas that can inspire our global solution development," he said.

The senior executive sees that contribution in laboratories seeking to integrate artificial intelligence into experimental design, data analysis and daily operations, moving beyond purchases of individual instruments.

"Chinese customers' emphasis on real-world application, together with their ability to test, iterate and scale new technologies quickly, makes China an important window into the future of laboratory development," he said.

Agilent's partnership with Chinese technology company Purspec offers another example. The partners combined Purspec's lipidomics hardware, software and databases with Agilent's chromatography and mass spectrometry platforms to develop a solution for studying lipid structures.

During the project, Chinese researchers contributed original technologies and knowledge of emerging scientific needs, while Agilent brought instrumentation and an international market network.

"These collaborations reinforce my confidence that China can contribute a wealth of original scientific achievements, engineering capabilities and application insights," Kirkwood said.

Looking forward, Kirkwood sees particular promise in China-US cooperation in areas such as life sciences and biopharmaceuticals, food and environmental safety, green energy and laboratory digitalization, where progress depends on scientists, companies and customers working across borders.

"Enduring collaboration often begins with a specific challenge," he said, adding that translating positive momentum from high-level dialogue into lasting outcomes requires companies to pursue open innovation, invest in local capabilities and build long-term trust with customers, suppliers, research institutions and industry partners.

Agilent plans to put that approach into practice by deepening local manufacturing and research collaboration in China over the next two to three years, Kirkwood noted.

lijiaying@chinadaily.com.cn