Joaquin Duato had dreams of playing tennis for Spain as a child. At 55, he is now the executive vice-president and worldwide chairman of pharmaceuticals at blue chip brand Johnson& Johnson.

In an interview Duato talked about the company's vision and its strategy in China

What are Johnson & Johnson's plans in China during the next five years?

China is vitally important to us globally and we remain committed to investing in China, and making a significant contribution to the country's economic growth.

Since establishing operations here in 1985, we have expanded our presence significantly and today employ more than 2,500 people in our Beijing headquarters, our state-of-the-art manufacturing site in Xi'an, and our research and development operations. These include the groundbreaking R&D center in Shanghai and the Johnson & Johnson Innovation Center.

Following an investment of $290 million, our new supply chain hub for innovation in Asia is scheduled to open in Xi'an (in Shaanxi province) in 2019. The objective is to serve the rapidly expanding needs of China and other markets in the region. The plant is expected to set a new standard in pharmaceutical manufacturing here.

At full capacity, the plant is expected to produce 400 million tablets, capsules, creams, suppositories and powders a year.

What are your priorities in the country?

Globally, and in China, our strategy is to focus on discovering and developing transformational medical innovations for patients in six high priority disease areas, which address major unmet (unfulfilled) treatment needs.

These include oncology, immunology, neuroscience, infectious diseases, cardiovascular and pulmonary hypertension.

We will (also) continue to support China's aspiration to become a leading global pharmaceutical innovator through forward-looking investments. This will enable the discovery of game-changing therapies which address unmet medical needs.

What business opportunities will emerge through the Belt and Road Initiative?

Xi'an Janssen was, and will continue to be, a forerunner in establishing joint ventures with local partners in China. We established our operations in Shaanxi province in 1985, a critical area of the Belt and Road Initiative.

We also attribute these joint-venture partnerships and our continued investment in Xi'an as critical factors to our success in China. We will continue this model (in the future).

How will you compete with competitors across the world and in China?

In 2011, we made the decision to focus our business on identifying and bringing transformational medical innovation. We are an innovation-based company which globally spends 50 percent more in research and development than in sales and marketing.

With a growing core business of medicines and a strong lineup of innovative products expected to launch or file during the next five years, we are leading the industry in advancing the health of patients around the world.

With our proven global commercial capabilities, we are well-positioned to continue delivering strong, long-term, sustainable growth.