Forum Seeks Right Path for TCM Globalization

By Zhang Feng

Globalization of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) should be stepped up to help provide people worldwide with better healthcare, experts said.

TCM has proven effective throughout China’s long history of fighting against various diseases, well before Western medicine was imported into China in the 19th century. Even now, TCM is still playing a vital role in caring for the world’s most populous country.

For example, over the past three years, Chinese doctors have proved that TCM is more effective than Western medicine in preventing and treating SARS, said Deng Tietao, leading doctor and lifelong professor of TCM at Guangzhou University.

He made the remarks at the two-day First China Forum for Globalization of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which opened in Beijing on Saturday.

The forum is sponsored by the China Association of TCM, China Medical Association of Minorities and the Chinese Medicine Committee of World Confederation of Productivity Science China Chapter.

Moreover, thanks to TCM, Chinese people have never worried much about the flu, like the Western world has been.

TCM centres around the idea of life preservation and the promotion of health and patients do not have to suffer from the side effects of drugs, pain and injury from unnecessary medical examinations and techniques, said Deng.

Since people everywhere are paying more attention to harmonious interaction with nature and to methods of maintaining health and preventing sickness, TCM will continue to grow in popularity, experts said.

However, due to cultural differences, various obstacles set up by the Western health and medicine authorities, the lack of communication between the practitioners of TCM and the outside world and many other factors, the globalization process of TCM is rather slow.

Almost all the speakers were in consensus that TCM should maintain its unique characteristics and direction of growth, instead of blindly imitating or catering to the standards of Western medicine.

It is unfair and incorrect for the Western world to say that TCM is not a science and should be “westernized”, said experts.

So the globalization of TCM absolutely does not mean its “Westernization”, experts stressed.

The globalization of TCM depends on the comprehensive development of the country’s economy, foreign affairs, and other aspects.

Without the strong backup of an open and rapidly developing economy, globalization will remain a dream, experts said.

Meanwhile, public education is required to make people believe in TCM, instead of blindly trusting Western medicines.

For example, in China’s hospitals, only 10 per cent of the doctors know how to give a TCM prescription, and the rest treat patients with Western medicines, said experts.

The globalization of TCM should not only depend on the export of medicines or herbs.

Because doctors play a very important role in TCM treatment, increasing the number of TCM doctors in China and other countries is what will aid globalization.

The culture of TCM, which is an important part of Chinese culture, also needs to be spread widely around the world to awaken more interest in the science, experts said.