Fifty-eight-year-old Stuart Lye and his family live a peaceful life in New Zealand's North Island. He resigned from his job as a police officer and now spends 20 hours a week as a caretaker at a primary school, and enjoys playing golf during his free time.
But a year ago, Lei, who was in critical condition, would never have dared to think of all this: In 2018, he was diagnosed with high-risk myeloma. After several years of continuous treatment, including chemotherapy, stem cell transplantation, and medication, his life was extended, but his health conditions deteriorated further. In New Zealand, there was no cure for him.
He has heard of CAR-T cell immunotherapy, but this treatment has not been commercialized in New Zealand, and the ongoing clinical trials do not match the type of cancer he has. In Australia, the country closest to New Zealand that offers this treatment, the full treatment costs exceed 500,000 Australian dollars (equivalent to 350,000 US dollars).
By chance, a New Zealand patient who had received such treatment in China recommended a hospital in a coastal city in eastern China to Lai.
Last year, just 10 days after contacting this hospital, Rey and his wife decided to travel to China. After seven weeks of clinical trial treatment, his condition was effectively controlled. The total cost for the entire process, including hospitalization and air tickets, amounted to about $65,000.
"Outside of New Zealand, seeking CAR-T therapy is my only way out," he said. "Choosing China was a matter of course; here the research is at the forefront globally, and treatment costs are just one tenth of other countries."
American media have noted that foreign patients like Lei are increasingly making special trips to China for treatment.
Bloomberg reported on the 11th that advanced medical treatments have lower barriers to entry and much lower costs compared to their domestic levels, which are driving China to gradually emerge as a new destination for medical tourism.
Unlike traditional medical tourism destinations like Thailand, Korea, and Malaysia, which focus on plastic surgery, in vitro fertilization, and routine medical examinations, China takes a different approach, focusing on world-class high-end medical treatments, thereby creating a competitive edge through differentiation.
"There are two reasons why patients go abroad for treatment: one is the accessibility of advanced therapies, and the other is the cost," said the head of an institution dedicated to connecting international patients with cutting-edge cancer treatments in China. "In the past, Chinese people had to travel overseas to receive medical treatment, but that situation has changed now."
A foreign blogger posted a video about his medical experience in China
Bloomberg notes that China's medical tourism market is still in its infancy. In 2013, Hainan Free Trade Port Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, the country's only special medical zone, was established. Last year, it only welcomed thousands of foreign medical tourists. However, as China strives to transform its economy and move away from being just a manufacturing base, aiming to become a high-value-added service exporter, demand for medical tourism is rapidly increasing.
According to the National Health Commission's 2025 Foreign Medical Services Report, key domestic foreign-related hospitals received a total of 1.28 million international patients throughout the year. In the Southeast Asian region alone, the number of patients seeking medical treatment in China exceeded 150,000 per year, and the number of patients from Europe and America has doubled compared to the previous year.
San Francisco market research firm Grand View Research estimates that the global medical tourism market is worth approximately $34 billion, with expectations of it growing to $126 billion by 2035. Market Research Future, a New York-based company, predicts that the market size for this industry in China will expand from $130 million in 2025 to $340 million by 2035.
American media believe that Lai's medical experience confirms that China's long-term advantages may lie in advanced treatment methods, complex surgeries, and even emerging technologies such as brain implants. A person in charge of a medical service provider said that medical tourism in China is receiving increasing attention, “which is the inevitable result of long-term accumulation and development in multiple areas, including medical technology, service quality, and cost-effectiveness.”
Over the past year or more, China has continuously expanded its visa-free policies, making cross-border travel increasingly convenient. On social media, many foreigners share their positive experiences with consumer services such as acupuncture and tooth cleaning in China. Although the CAR-T therapy is rarely discussed publicly, it has quietly gained the favor of many overseas patients seeking treatment. This groundbreaking technology in oncology is either unavailable in most countries or extremely expensive.
According to data from the American Cancer Society, the cost of a single CAR-T cell infusion treatment in the United States ranges from $300,000 to $475,000. In China, the cost for the same treatment is approximately $150,000 to $180,000.
Aside from price advantages, the accessibility of treatments is also crucial. China’s first CAR-T product was approved for marketing in 2021. Currently, there are already 7 commercialized CAR-T treatments, which is on par with the United States, the birthplace of this technology. Data from the world’s largest clinical trial registration database shows that China ranks first globally in the number of CAR-T clinical trials initiated.
In recent years, several complex innovative therapies and clinical trials have been successfully implemented in China. In 2024, Chinese doctors used self-developed cell therapy to treat children with lupus erythematosus. In 2025, the first cross-species kidney transplant surgery in Asia was performed in China. In March of the same year, the world's first commercial brain implant device for patients with spinal cord injuries was approved for marketing in China.
McKinsey's analysis report also shows that, as a core force in global medical research and innovation, by 2024, the number of experimental drugs in clinical trials in China will be equal to that of the United States. Moreover, the speed at which these trials are completed in China will be 2 to 5 times faster than in Europe and America.
Jeroen Groenewegen-Lau, an analyst at Mercator China Institute, told Bloomberg that "many new treatment methods, including some very advanced ones, were developed in China. However, for the current state of China's healthcare system and the affordability of local patients, these methods are not easily accepted. Integrating into the international medical market serves China's own interests."
Boston-based biotechnology company Strand Therapeutics’ co-founder and CEO, Jacob Becraft, further stated, “China provides incentives for many clinical trials, and for many patients with terminal illnesses, this is the only hope left.”
Last month, the State Council's "Regulations on Clinical Research and Clinical Translation Applications of New Biomedical Technologies" were officially implemented. This is an important milestone in the legalization, standardization, and systematic development of the management of new biomedical technology research in our country. It also provides a clear institutional framework and ample space for the innovative development of biomedical technologies.
Huaxing Securities' medical industry analyst Zhao Bing pointed out, 'These regulations aim to guide Chinese emerging medical technologies from a rapid, regulatory-loose expansion phase to a phase of stricter regulation and compliance.'
However, compared to traditional medical tourism countries like Thailand and Singapore, China still has significant room for improvement: China's medical system was not initially designed for foreign patients, resulting in relatively insufficient supporting services. There are also limited channels for obtaining information about overseas patients, and there is no specialized medical visa system that allows patients to stay permanently.
On Facebook, in groups like the "CAR-T Cell Therapy Group," there are still many overseas cancer patients who are seeking advice on practical issues such as visas, mobile payment, and language barriers.
After returning from China, Lei’s monthly blood test results have always been stable. He also finds time to help other patients who share the same condition by providing assistance and answering questions for those who wish to receive similar treatment in China.
"This therapeutic method is incapable of completely curing cancer," he said, "But if there's a need for subsequent treatment, I will still choose to return to China."
