THE PAST THREE YEARS HAVE been a dizzying ride for Ge Li, the founder of Shanghai-based WuXi PharmaTech. Li, 37, started the contract research company in 2001 when he returned home to China after 12 years of living in the U.S. He tripled his sales in the 2002-03 fiscal year and expects sales to double again this year. Within a year or two, Li will be employing 500 scientists. U.S. competitors that had earlier expressed doubts about PharmaTech's capabilities are now trying to cooperate with the firm, he says. PharmaTech's rented labs in Shanghai's Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone are like an R&D mall of the world's most famous drug companies. One room handles projects for Sumitomo Chemical, another room takes care of Merck & Co. projects, and scientists in the next room work for another major pharma company. In one conference hall, a researcher from Eli Lilly is giving a ...