AstraZeneca Seeks to Move Past China Probe With R&D Hub (1)

Ever since AstraZeneca Plc shocked investors in October with news its China chief was under investigation, the British pharmaceutical giant has tried to maintain a business-as-usual stance in its second-biggest market.

While the Cambridge-based company is still waiting for the outcome of the probes into alleged illegal data and drug-import activities, a planned $2.5 billion research hub in Beijing is a clear sign Chief Executive Officer Pascal Soriot’s efforts to get on the right side of the government are paying off.

Read: AstraZeneca Invests $2.5 Billion in Beijing Hub, Undeterred by Probe

The new R&D center, poised to be ...