A senior Chinese official said in Beijing that China will actively promote practical cooperation on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with Belt and Road Initiative partner countries, so as to foster a new landscape for the development of traditional medicine.
Speaking at the Belt and Road Conference for Traditional Chinese Medicine Development (Ministerial) Roundtable Dialogue on Oct 18, Liu Jinfeng, vice-minister of the National Health Commission and director of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said the country will deepen practical cooperation with BRI partner countries in medicinal resource conservation, cultivation technology promotion, pharmaceutical innovation and R&D, and clinical evidence-based research.
He said the roundtable dialogue, which is a high-level government forum of the 2026 World Conference on Traditional Medicine, featured thorough exchanges, experience-sharing, enhanced mutual understanding and consensus-building on the theme of continuously advancing the high-quality integration of TCM into the BRI.
It has been learned that China stands ready to work with all countries to explore new models of industrial cooperation in TCM, improve the quality of TCM products and services, and ensure that TCM benefits the health of people around the world, thereby contributing China's strength to building a global community of health for all.
Liu stressed that China has issued more than 140 international TCM standards via ISO/TC249, and will continue to deepen cooperation with BRI partner countries on mutual recognition of standards and alignment of regulatory frameworks.
Meanwhile, China also plans to boost joint talent development and cultural mutual learning, he said, adding that drawing on high-quality overseas TCM centers and the "Shennong Tastes a Hundred Herbs for a New Era" Initiative, the country will cultivate local traditional medicine talent for BRI partner countries through joint laboratories, international training courses and "Western Medicine Practitioners Learning TCM" programs, enabling TCM to foster people-to-people bonds.
The roundtable dialogue was hosted by the National Health Commission of China, National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Medical Products Administration, and Beijing Municipal People's Government, and co-organized by the World Health Organization.
Martin Taylor, WHO representative to China, stated that WHO member states had adopted the Global Strategy on Traditional Medicine 2025-2034 in 2025, setting a shared direction for countries to strengthen scientific evidence, guarantee quality and safety, and integrate traditional medicine into health systems.
He commended China's systematic experience in traditional medicine policy-making, education, scientific research and service networks, observing that BRI creates important opportunities for knowledge-sharing, joint research and personnel training.
Amma Twum-Amoah, African Union commissioner for health, humanitarian affairs and social development, put forward three priorities regarding health cooperation under the BRI.
These include strengthening joint research and personnel training between Chinese and African universities, laboratories and teaching hospitals; deepening coordination on quality standards and regulation; and building Sino-African pilot projects for scientific research and capacity building, she said.
KS (Vincent) Sivas, ambassador of Micronesia to China, spoke highly of the BRI health cooperation, noting that Chinese medical teams have delivered clinical services across four states of the Federated States of Micronesia, and TCM therapies including acupuncture, cupping and tuina massage are growing in popularity among the local people.
He hopes to see more specialized Chinese TCM medical teams being dispatched to Micronesia, and a closer China-Micronesia health partnership.
Distinguished attendees also include Liu Zhen, deputy director of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine; senior health officials from related countries and regions; related ambassadors to China; Lo Chung-mau, secretary for health of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and other Chinese and foreign guests.
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