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China Exclusive: Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine Draws Worldwide Attention

Posted on: Wednesday, 28 September 2005, 09:00 CDT

China exclusive: modernization of traditional Chinese medicine draws worldwide attention

CHENGDU, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- More than 120 countries and regions have set up traditional Chinese medicinal institutions or clinics and are pooling worldwide efforts in blazing new trails for the revitalization of the age-old science.

An important component of the Chinese culture, traditional Chinese medicine is being widely accepted worldwide as it upgrades by taking advantage of modern scientific theories, technologies and methods.

The ongoing Second International Science and Technology Conference on Traditional Chinese Medicine, held in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, has drawn more than 3,000 government officials, representatives from pharmaceutical firms and scientists and researchers from 43 countries and regions.

The three-day conference has displayed the latest science and technology in traditional Chinese medicine, industrial prospects and international cooperation.

Participants in the conference were focusing on such topics as high technology in modern traditional Chinese medicine, sustainable growth and the utilization of traditional Chinese medicine resources, and clinical research of the effectiveness and safety of traditional Chinese medicine.

More and more people in foreign countries are starting to believe in the effectiveness of Chinese traditional medicine, leading to the rapid growth of the traditional Chinese medicine industry.

Statistics showed that a total of 14,000 traditional Chinese medicine clinics have so far been set up in France, Britain, Canada and Australia.

Currently, Japan has approximately 15,000 people engaged in businesses related to traditional Chinese medicine. The Republic of Korea (ROK) has developed a Chinese medicine market of over one billion US dollars.

Traditional Chinese medicine is not only used in Asian countries, but also has become legal in many European and American countries.

France has acknowledged the practice of acupuncture anesthesia and traditional Chinese medicine has been included in the curriculum of France's higher learning medical institutions. Chinese herbal medicine was included in France's medical insurance in 1999.

Chinese medicine is very popular in Germany, where people can buy Chinese medicine in most drugstores.

In Australia, at least 2.8 million people visit traditional Chinese medicine doctors each year and there are more than 2,000 traditional Chinese medicine doctors in Sydney and Melbourne.

Traditional Chinese medicine is gradually obtaining legal recognition in the United States, where there are 12,000 registered acupuncturists and 53 schools of traditional Chinese medicine. It has been incorporated into medical insurance by an increasing number of US insurance firms.

In India, Chinese medicine as well traditional Chinese health- building forms, such as balls for health, Taijiquan (a kind of traditional Chinese physical exercise also known as the shadow boxing), cupping and so on, are highly praised.

The worldwide spread of the traditional Chinese medicine knowledge and technology has boosted large-scale exports of Chinese medicines, totaling 500 million US dollars annually.

Representatives, officials and experts at the ongoing international science and technology conference on traditional Chinese medicine have reached consensus in expanding scientific cooperation in the modernization of the traditional Chinese medicine.

More than 40 countries and regions as well as international medical institutions have agreed and responded to a proposal put forward by the Chinese government in setting up an international scientific cooperation mechanism regarding the modernization of traditional medicine.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

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