(Yicai) April 24 -- The chairman of Johnson and Johnson China has resigned to pursue other opportunities.

Will Song, who is also the president of J&J MedTech China, has submitted a resignation letter to the company, Vishnu Kalra, chairman of J&J MedTech Asia Pacific, said in an internal letter. Song will remain on duty until the end of September to ensure a stable and smooth job transition, Kalra added.

Song joined J&J in 2003. He was promoted to president of J&J MedTech China, the US multinational company's largest business in the country, in 2015. Three years later, he was named chairman of J&J China.

China became one of the most crucial strategic growth engines for J&J MedTech under Song's leadership, according to Kalra. Over the past decade, the sales value of J&J MedTech in the Chinese market soared over eight-fold.

In J&J's global business landscape, China is one of the fastest-developing markets, as well as a brand-new innovative strategic market, Song said during this year's Two Sessions, the annual plenary meetings of the National People's Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Consultative Conference.

It is relatively rare among the bosses of multinational corporations' Chinese units to work as long as 20 years, as Song did, a former employee at J&J China told Yicai. The whole industry will pay close attention to the future of Song and the potential changes in J&J China's strategy.

Outside the US, China is the only key market where J&J set up research and development centers or separate departments for local businesses. Last September, J&J announced a new brand strategy focusing on innovative medicine and medical technology. 

Editors: Shi Yi, Futura Costaglione