Merck isn't the first pharmaceutical company to invest in research in China, but it sure is spending a lot more, says ScienceInsider's Hao Xin. The company says it plans to spend about $1.5 billion on R&D in China over the next five years, starting with a staff of 260 in Beijing. Merck already has a commercial headquarters in Shanghai and has built manufacturing facilities in other parts of China, Xin says.