China’s Long March 12 rocket launches new internet satellite group

China has stepped up international cooperation in traditional Chinese medicine to benefit more people globally, authorities said on Friday, with an upcoming global event set to further tap the potential of traditional medicine in safeguarding global health.

Huang Luqi, deputy director of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said TCM has spread to 196 countries and regions worldwide, and China has signed TCM cooperation agreements with nearly 50 foreign governments, regional authorities and international organizations.

China has also built 30 high-quality overseas TCM centers and 31 national-level TCM service export facilities to carry out medical services, personnel training, scientific research and cultural exchanges, and has dispatched five TCM foreign aid teams to Cambodia to deliver TCM services to local residents.

"We have also worked with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative to strengthen joint research and development of medicinal resources, making TCM international cooperation more tailored to other countries' health needs and benefiting more local people," he said.

Meanwhile, Huang said China has played an active role in promoting traditional medicines around the world, formulating related global rules and standards and hosting communication platforms.

One forthcoming platform for such exchanges is the World Conference on Traditional Medicine 2026, which is set to take place in Beijing from Oct 17 to 18, said Huang, who co-heads the event's organizing group.

The event will be hosted by the People's Government of Beijing Municipality, the National Health Commission, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the National Medical Products Administration, in collaboration with the World Health Organization.

The theme of this year's conference is "Technology Empowerment and Integrated Development: Advancing Traditional Medicine for All", according to the organizers.

"The conference has so far invited 92 overseas experts and scholars and 62 domestic ones to deliver academic reports, with international speakers accounting for 60 percent of the total," said Huang. "They will present 154 high-level speeches and reports as well as multiple dialogues."

A variety of topics will be discussed at the event, including traditional medicine's integration into the mainstream international health systems, promotion of primary healthcare, advancement of evidence-based development of traditional medicine, education and training, herbal medicine quality, drug regulation and artificial intelligence, according to Huang.

The inaugural edition of the World Conference on Traditional Medicine was held in December 2024 in Beijing, providing a platform to enhance global access to traditional and complementary medicine and to promote its integration into healthcare systems worldwide.

Qin Huaijin, secretary-general of the World Conference on Traditional Medicine, said this year's conference will highlight the role of AI and other emerging technologies in stimulating the inheritance and innovation of traditional medicines, as well as the role of traditional medicines in tackling key global health challenges such as chronic diseases and acute infectious diseases.

The event will also produce a report on AI-empowered development of traditional medicine and an initiative on the protection and sustainable use of traditional medicinal plant resources, he added.

wangxiaoyu@chinadaily.com.cn