Bayer plans to invest more in China

International tensions and trade uncertainties may affect companies' willingness to cooperate globally, said An Guangyong, an expert with the Professional Committee of Credit Management of the China Mergers and Acquisitions Association.

Nevertheless, the importance of globalization is self-evident.

"Setbacks to globalization would only leave the world with fragmentation, and restrain motivations to innovate," Zhou said.

Berninger said: "If you think about a disease like cancer, for example, the war against cancer requires that we collaborate across the borders, and that our regulatory systems are harmonized as much as possible.

"We need to strike the right balance between cost control in the health system and welcoming innovation. Governments in all regions around the globe need to understand that."

"If they do not manage that, there will be less innovation. If there is less innovation, then people will not be able to benefit from the progress at the intersection of biology, chemistry and artificial intelligence that is currently exciting our researchers around the world."