International Exchange and Cooperation
At present, China has established governmental or non-governmental cooperative relations in the field of traditional medicine with most countries in the world and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao. China has also carried out governmental exchange and cooperation in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with more than 40 countries and regions. Chinese herbal medicaments have been exported to over 130 countries and regions. With China's reform and opening-up steadily developing in depth, particularly with the change of human disease spectrum and the rise of a tide of "returning to nature" in recent years, the progress and achievements of TCM have been increasingly noticeable in the world. A trend of international exchange and cooperation in TCM has shifted from non-governmental exchange to governmental cooperation. Now, China has jointly set up various types of institutions of TCM with most countries and regions in the world, such as clinics and schools of TCM and trade companies and research centers of Chinese herbal medicaments. Professionals of TCM of China are invited to work abroad. Academic bodies of TCM have been established in succession in many countries and regions to conduct traditional Chinese medical academic research and exchange . TCM has been recognized and accepted by more and more countries and peoples. Meanwhile, increasing number of foreigners hopes to understand TCM more widely and penetratingly, thus promoting the development of overseas foreign education of TCM . The number of foreigners studying TCM in China has so far ranked first among those studying natural sciences.
We have, for many years, paid attention to strengthening link and cooperation with relevant international organizations, the World Health Organization (WHO) in particular, with positive results. For example, in cooperation with the WHO, we have established 7 centers in China for cooperation of traditional medicine. A regional symposium on "The Role of Traditional Medicine in Primary Healthcare" was held in Guangzhou in October 1985 to introduce and spread TCM and its clinical experiences to serve the world. Since 1989, our Administration and the WHO representative office in China have had routine meetings to regularly exchange information about traditional Chinese therapy , education and scientific research of TCM in the world. "Beijing Declaration" with "human health needs traditional medicine" as its theme was unanimously approved at an international conference on traditional medicine jointly sponsored in Beijing by our Administration and the WHO in 1991 with scholars from more than 40 countries and governmental officials from over 20 countries participating the meeting. Supported by the WHO, we have in recent years organized more than 10 workshops on TCM therapies and on monitor for unfavorable reactions of herbal medicaments. In addition, coordination of the development of traditional medicine was penetratingly discussed at a conference held in Beijing in 1996 attended by directors in charge of centers for the global cooperation in traditional medicine.
In order to further disseminate the spread of TCM throughout the world, the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine held a national working conference in November 1997 on international exchange and cooperation of TCM. The conference summarized the experience in international exchange and cooperation of TCM since the 3rd plenary session of the 11th central committee of the Communist Party of China and raised the key points for future mission. According to the current condition of TCM and the trend for the development of traditional medicine in the world, the conference worked out a "10-year plan for international exchange and cooperation of TCM". The targets stipulated at the conference for international exchange and cooperation in the following 10 years are:
-To preliminarily set up an international network of TCM; to basically formulate a pattern for international exchange and cooperation in many forms, through many channels and at many levels, to perfect standardization and foreign-related laws concerning TCM; to greatly enhance the application scope and utilization rate of TCM in the world; to substantially increase the understanding and recognition of TCM in various countries of the world by 2008; to make TCM brought into medical healthcare service system and medical insurance system in some countries,
-To realize the magnificent target for international exchange and cooperation of TCM; to promote TCM further towards the world; to adhere to the strategic guideline of "having a foothold at home, using domestic achievements to promote international exchange, relying on science and education, attaching importance to both treatments and herbal medicaments; acting according to local conditions, and connecting rails in two ways",
-To further develop TCM in China to energetically absorb advanced technology and experience of medical science in the world; to facilitate the existing institutions of TCM ; to bring TCM into full play in China's health cause; to enhance the contribution rate of TCM to national economy and social development; to strengthen the credibility and influence of TCM; to promote the application and development of TCM in various countries of the world,
-To rely on scientific and technological progress and constantly enhance the academic level and curative effect of TCM; to accelerate the scientific and technological progress of TCM through international exchange and cooperation; to further deepen the reform of education of TCM and perfect its educational system; to raise teaching quality and to foster a large number of professionals of TCM,
Meanwhile, according to different cultural background and economic development level in various countries and regions, TCM should actively adapt itself to the state conditions of various countries and to combine with different schools of medicine.
We have also worked out concrete measures to implement the targets and guideline stipulated in the "10-Year Plan".
To sum up, since reform and opening-up, unprecedented progress has been made in the international exchange and cooperation of TCM, great changes have taken place in the status of TCM in the world medical field . The influence of TCM in the world has been widely spread, and a solid foundation has been laid for TCM to march toward the world more extensively. In order to realize the global objective of "everyone enjoys healthcare in 2000", the WHO has actively recommended that countries in the world use traditional medicine including TCM, and has officially proposed acupuncture therapy for 43 diseases. Practice has proved that TCM, a traditional cultural treasure which accumulates the wisdom of the Chinese nation, is making its due contributions to the health of mankind.
-- source from State Administration of TCM, China
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