Traditional Chinese Medicine Finds Itself at a Crossroads
By Zhang Xutong
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is now at a crossroads in its existence. The key to moving on lies in the understanding of its definition and the content of “internationalization of TCM” as well as the consciousness of the Chinese people.
The “internationalization” of traditional Chinese medicine has two different explanations. The first is “to popularize the academic culture of TCM in international society” and “greatly enhance the exports of TCM to earn foreign exchange for the country”. The second is to westernize TCM or integrate TCM with Western medicine.
It is understood that many people believe that to add scientific factors to traditional Chinese medicine would mean to convert TCM into Western medicine. It can also be called “Westernized traditional Chinese medicine”, which is the general significance of international integration of traditional Chinese medicine.
In fact, it is an ongoing issue. The true story was told in an article – The Truth about the Rockefeller Drug Empire – written by Han Reusch and published recently. The article gives details on why the Rockefeller family is willing to “donate” to the medical circle in China under the name of an academic foundation.
Its purpose is to make Chinese people doubt the origin and system of traditional Chinese medicine and so abandon it. The move was made under the cover of “Westernizing traditional Chinese medicine”. It is a conspiracy to completely destroy TCM.
Western medicine used to deny the existence of TCM. For example, before it discovered the thymus gland and spleen, it did not agree with the TCM theory that is based on these important organs.
It believed that TCM was not scientific. Even after it proved the existence of the two organs, it still claimed that TCM was not scientific.
Under the influence of the Rockefellers, the World Trade Organization issued a decree forbidding each of its members from trading in traditional Chinese medicine. It was echoed by the European Union that decided not to import TCM and Chinese healthcare food. The US followed suit, banning the import and sales of traditional Chinese medicine.
All these moves are targeted at TCM.
However, Germany was the first to oppose such a decision. Its judicial department overthrew the WTO decree. Canada also resisted the decree through its legislative procedures.
Traditional Chinese medicine is one of China’s greatest scientific achievements. It is the crystallization of its academic wisdom. Its theory and practice are all based on Chinese culture.
In terms of treatment effectiveness and the methodology of understanding some particular diseases, it is far more reasonable and effective compared to Western medicine. It also has no serious side-effects.
This self-complete theory has included the mechanism of timely progress. There is absolutely no need for TCM to be Westernized.
China owns the complete intellectual property rights for traditional Chinese medicine. It can never be “stolen” by others.
Japan has recently applied to the World Health Organization for the definition of TCM. It wants to give TCM a Japanese name. The purpose of the move is to separate TCM from China and thus make the school of medicine its own. Quite naively and ridiculously, Japan believes that once this happens, Japanese medicine will be the sole beneficiary.