BEIJING, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- The international cooperation involving Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is continuously growing. According to official data, TCM has been introduced to 196 countries and regions, becoming an essential part of China's international collaboration.
Over the past decade, China has established 30 overseas TCM centers in Belt and Road countries and trained more than 1,000 TCM professionals in these countries. TCM treatments have been utilized by over one-third of the global population.
Yu Yanhong, director of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, emphasized that TCM has played a crucial role in the development of the Health Silk Road.
Moin Ul Haque, the Ambassador of Pakistan to China, said that the sales of TCM products in Pakistan have multiplied over the years. The cooperation in TCM is not merely about medical technology, it also encompasses cultural exchanges, people-to-people exchanges, and mutual understanding, Haque added.
Chinese TCM enterprises are also actively exploring overseas markets in the Belt and Road countries.
Lin Zhihui, chairman of Zhangzhou Pien Tze Huang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., revealed that the company has actively expanded its overseas operations and promoted the dissemination of TCM culture, advancing the internationalization of the brand and increasing the presence of its products overseas. In 2022, Pien Tze Huang saw its overseas revenue reaching over 400 million yuan (about 55 million U.S. dollars).
According to Xu Li, chairman of China Natural Resources Industrial Group Co., Ltd., in order to make innovation in TCM, the company has collected the needs of Belt and Road countries and adopted modern biotechnology methods.
Sun Changsheng, chairman of Zhejiang BioAsia Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd., said that the company had transformed medicinal materials through biological solid-state fermentation to eliminate the original form of insects while achieving standardization. "Our products are now welcomed in the European market," Sun added.
Pharmaceutical giant Beijing Tong Ren Tang Chinese Medicine Co., Ltd. has established over 160 TCM service outlets in 28 countries and regions. According to Wang Pinggui, chairman of the company, it plans to increase its overseas investments by establishing TCM hospitals, chain clinics, and healthcare institutions.
(Contributed by Li Tangning, edited by Li Shimeng with Xinhua Silk Road, lishimeng@xinhua.org)
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