China National Pharmaceutical Group (SINOPHARM) is the largest pharmaceutical company in the world's most populous nation. The company researches and develops, manufactures, distributes, and markets medicine and other healthcare products. SINOPHARM manages factories, research laboratories, traditional Chinese medicine plantations, and marketing and distribution networks that extend throughout the country. It also has 10 subsidiaries and a number of major joint ventures. The company also runs about a dozen retail pharmacy chains. SINOPHARM, which has operations in Africa, France, Germany, Hong Kong, the US, and Vietnam, was formed in 1998. The Chinese government controls the pharmaceutical firm.