Lu Weili, Deputy Secretary-General of the People’s Government of Zhejiang Province, attended the opening ceremony of the forum and delivered a speech
date：2024-02-23 15:45:06 views：
On September 6th, the 6th Belt and Road Forum for Traditional Chinese Medicine Development, as a summit forum of the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services, was successfully held at the Beijing National Convention Center. The forum was co-hosted by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, with the theme: 'Deepening Cooperation of Belt and Road Traditional Chinese Medicine Development and Jointly Creating a Global Community of Health for All'. Officials from Chinese and foreign government departments, representatives from international organizations, academicians from the Academy of Engineering, Nobel laureates, and leaders from the political consultative conferences of 10 provinces including Guangdong, Zhejiang, Shaanxi, Yunnan, Jiangxi, Fujian, Sichuan, Gansu, Hebei, and Henan, alongside diplomats from 20 embassies stationed in China from countries such as South Africa, Israel, Belarus, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Cape Verde, Liberia, Sri Lanka, Uruguay, and Cuba, as well as representatives from over 400 enterprises, participated in the event. Lu Weili, Deputy Secretary-General of the People’s Government of Zhejiang Province, attended the opening ceremony of the forum and delivered a speech.
Lu Weili, Deputy Secretary-General of the People’s Government of Zhejiang Province, attended the opening ceremony of the forum and delivered a speech
Esteemed Commissioner Yu Yanhong, Vice President Li Xikui, distinguished leaders, and honored guests,
Greetings to you all!
Delegated by Li Yanyi, the Vice Governor of the People’s Government of Zhejiang Province, it is with great honor that I partake in today’s forum. On behalf of the People’s Government of Zhejiang Province, I extend our heartfelt gratitude to all leaders and guests who have consistently supported the socioeconomic development of Zhejiang, with a special focus on the advancement of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
President Xi Jinping places immense value on the TCM industry, highlighting it as a gem of Chinese civilization. He advocates for the high-quality development of TCM affairs and industry, aiming to introduce TCM to the global. In alignment with President Xi Jinping’s important directives on TCM, Zhejiang has earnestly pursued these teachings, seizing the opportunity to construct a national demonstration zone for comprehensive TCM reform. We have formulated and implemented a development plan for TCM in Zhejiang, vigorously launching specialized actions such as “Thousands of TCM Prescriptions,” “Elevating a Thousand TCM Facilities to Showcase a Hundred,” and “Training a Thousand TCM Practitioners to Select a Hundred from them,” all to promote the high-quality development of Zhejiang-style TCM.
Moreover, we actively integrate and serve the Belt and Road national strategy, deepening international exchanges and cooperation in TCM diagnostics, technology, trade, and culture, thus propelling Zhejiang’s TCM onto the global stage.
1. Enhancing Government Communication and Strengthening Collaborative Bonds:
Focusing on the construction of TCM centers abroad, facilitation of Chinese doctors’ practicing qualifications and visa procedures, cultivation of medicinal plants, and the registration and use of Chinese medicines, we have established and perfected regular communication and exchange mechanisms with international sister cities, actively promoting in-depth and pragmatic international cooperation in TCM governance. As of June, this year, our province has signed 116 TCM cooperation agreements with overseas medical and educational institutions, providing TCM services to over 13 million people in countries along the Belt and Road such as Mali, the Central African Republic, and Namibia. We have established four overseas TCM centers in Israel, Belarus, Romania, and New Zealand, with one TCM practitioner from our province obtaining the qualification to practice in Belarus, and becoming the first Chinese TCM practitioner to independently diagnose and treat patients abroad.
2. Encouraging Science-Education Collaboration and Expanding Areas of Cooperation:
We guide enterprises in innovating TCM science and technology, and support Zhejiang Longevity Valley Botanical Co., Ltd. in leading the development of international standards for Ganoderma and Dendrobium officinale, aiding in the standardization of international trade of Chinese medicines. We foster the establishment of a TCM in vitro metabolism research platform in collaboration with the Hangzhou Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Ghent University, Belgium. We collaborate with scientific research institutions in Malaysia and South Africa to develop new TCM products. Supporting Zhejiang Chinese Medical University to establish nine overseas TCM education and service centers in countries including Portugal and South Africa, hosting high-level international forums such as the China-Belarus Traditional Medicine Clinical Application Summit, continuously promoting academic exchanges and scientific research cooperation, and supporting foreign students studying in Zhejiang. Currently, our province has 822 international students enrolled in TCM majors, having trained more than 17,000 individuals.
3. Strengthening Trade Services to Support Industrial Development:
We vigorously develop national TCM service export bases at Zhejiang Chinese Medical University and Wenzhou Medical University, organizing numerous TCM enterprises to participate in the China International Fair for Trade in Services and TCM Health Brand Expos, introducing new products and models of ‘Zhejiang-style TCM’ health services. Hosting online exhibitions for TCM health industries in Central and Eastern Europe, Zhejiang Export Online Fairs, and TCM service promotion events, we provide online trading platforms for TCM import and export enterprises. In 2022, our province established TCM trade relations with 168 countries and regions, with the total value of TCM imports and exports exceeding 36.5 billion yuan.
4. Enhancing Cultural Exchanges to Promote TCM Culture:
We actively explore channels for TCM cultural exchange, establishing Confucius Institutes for TCM at the University of Coimbra in Portugal, Thammasat University in Thailand, and the University of the Western Cape in South Africa, providing platforms for local communities to deeply understand TCM and other aspects of Chinese traditional culture. Organizing TCM cultural promotion activities in countries like the Czech Republic and Hungary, introducing healthy lifestyles characteristic of TCM, and hosting the 7th National University TCM Science and Technology Conference, broadcasting globally to actively share TCM’s role in combating the COVID-19 pandemic and its positive outcomes.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, following the National Health Commission’s arrangements, our province dispatched several TCM experts to support the global fight against the pandemic, safeguarding the health of overseas Chinese and local communities while actively sharing China’s pandemic response stories and promoting TCM culture.
Leaders and guests, the 19th Asian Games are set to grandly commence in Hangzhou on the 23rd of this month. This event is not only a global sporting celebration but also a significant window to showcase TCM and other aspects of Chinese traditional culture. For this occasion, we have specifically established two TCM cultural exhibition service pavilions and a TCM cultural experience zone, fully utilizing modern multimedia interactive technology to blend modern science with traditional crafts, comprehensively showcasing the profoundness of TCM culture and the diversity of TCM products. Additionally, we have included TCM diagnostic and healthcare services in the medical and healthcare provisions for the Asian Games, offering TCM services to athletes, technicians, and international friends, fully demonstrating the unique charm of TCM.
Moving forward, we will deepen our understanding and implementation of President Xi Jinping’s directives on TCM development and the Belt and Road Initiative, continuously deepen cooperation and exchanges in TCM with countries and regions along the Belt and Road, fostering mutual understanding among peoples and enhancing the well-being of all, contributing Zhejiang’s strength to the accelerated construction of a global community of health for mankind.
Finally, I wish this forum complete success. Thank you, everyone!