This year marks the tenth anniversary of the "One Belt, One Road" initiative. 2000 years ago, Chinese medicine was promoted along the ancient Silk Road and became an important part of trade and commerce between China and abroad. Now, with the change of health concept and medical model, TCM exchange and cooperation has become a new highlight of the high-quality development of "One Belt, One Road".
Recently, China sent abroad the first whole-formation TCM medical team to fight against epidemics - China Aid Cambodia TCM medical team 17 medical team members were awarded the Order of the Kingdom of Cambodia, the triumphal welcome ceremony was held in Xiyuan Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the second support for the Cambodian TCM medical team work is also in progress.
The Economic Reference News reporter learned that, from more and more Chinese medicine enterprises and Chinese medicine overseas centers in the "Belt and Road" along the roots, to a number of overseas "Chinese medicine fans" to China to "learn from the experience "and then return home to spread, Chinese medicine is striding towards the world along the "Belt and Road" area, contributing to the unique "Eastern power" for the health and well-being of people along the route.
Professor Yang Jun of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, a national famous Chinese medicine doctor, takes the pulse of the Greek people. (Photo by interviewee)
Chinese medicine accelerates "going abroad"
Outside the production workshop of Anhui Xiehecheng Pharmaceutical Beverage Co., Ltd, a dozen workers are busy moving packaged herbs and Chinese medicine tablets onto containers, which will arrive at Haiphong port in Vietnam in about a week by sea.
"Almost every week, containers sent to countries along the 'Belt and Road' are loaded from here, for example, this time the container sent to Vietnam contains about 50 kinds of Chinese herbs and tablets including white peony and peony bark, worth more than 1.5 million RMB." Anhui Xiehecheng Pharmaceutical Beverage Co., Ltd. customs manager Yang Dan told reporters that since 2017, the company began to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and other "Belt and Road" countries along the Chinese medicine market, the export volume of Chinese medicine tablets also ushered in a substantial increase.
The city of Bozhou in Anhui Province, where Anhui Xiehecheng Pharmaceutical Beverage Co., Ltd. is located, is the hometown of the divine doctor Hua Tuo and has been known as the "Chinese Medicine Capital" since ancient times. In promoting the development of Chinese medicine industry clusters, Bozhou is also actively promoting Chinese medicine to "one belt and one road" countries along the route.
According to Bozhou Customs statistics, from January to April this year, Bozhou City exported 190 million yuan of Chinese herbal medicines, an increase of 3.8%, accounting for 85.8% of the total export value of Chinese herbal medicines in Anhui Province, of which 45.509 million yuan of Chinese herbal medicines were exported to countries along the "Belt and Road", South Korea, Vietnam and other major export markets.
Bozhou, which is committed to building "the capital of Chinese medicine in the world", is the epitome of Chinese medicine accelerating its "going out". As a treasure of the Chinese nation, Chinese medicine is being welcomed by more and more people in countries along the "Belt and Road".
The "Development Plan for Promoting the High Quality Integration of Chinese Medicine into the "Belt and Road" (2021-2025)" (hereinafter referred to as "the Plan") released in 2022 proposed that during the "13th Five-Year Plan" period, the total import and export trade of Chinese medicine products would reach During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, the total import and export trade of Chinese medicine products will reach 28.19 billion USD, and the scope of application of Chinese medicine services and products will be further expanded.
In order to better meet the needs of countries along the "Belt and Road", Chinese medicine enterprises continue to develop and innovate their products. "We use scientific and technological innovation to further develop refined small packaged tablets, herbal extracts, herbal formula granules, herbal health products, etc., and gradually make the products develop in the direction of diversification. The export products are increased from single Chinese herbal medicine and Chinese herbal drink tablets to high value-added Chinese herbal extracts, Chinese herbal formulations, compound preparations and other products." Anhui Xiehecheng Pharmaceutical Beverage Co., Ltd. deputy general manager Zhao Weihe introduced that the company also set up an office in Vietnam to strengthen the exchange and cooperation with the local market.
Deeper integration into the "One Belt, One Road"
JiRen Pharmacy Ltd. sells Chinese medicine granules to fGerman citizens through the Chinese medicine ormula granule department. The pharmacy's herbal formula granule department was officially established in 2019, marking the first time that herbal formula granules that have passed official quality inspection have entered the German market.
"We cooperate with local public pharmacies to sell 128 varieties of Chinese herbal granules, which are very popular in Germany." Zhu Qiang, deputy general manager of Anhui Jiren Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. said that, for example, after the outbreak of New Guan Pneumonia, more than 100,000 copies of the formula granules configured in the formulations were sold in 27 EU member states and Switzerland, effectively participating in the rescue and treatment of New Guan Pneumonia patients.
As TCM accelerates overseas, it is also becoming more deeply integrated into local communities, taking root along the Belt and Road, and becoming an ambassador of health and cultural exchange between China and other countries along the route.
In Athens, Greece, the Athens Chinese Medicine Center, established by Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in cooperation with the International Health Tourism Center of Greece, has become a window for Chinese medicine to enter the lives of local people.
"We provide acupuncture, massage, health consultation and other TCM services to local Chinese and foreign people, and have gained high recognition. We hope that through this platform more foreign people can experience and understand the charm of Chinese medicine first hand, and strengthen the exchange of Chinese and Western medicine and culture." Wang Kai, deputy director of the emergency department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, said.
Such overseas centers of TCM are being built in more and more "Belt and Road" countries. Gansu Province has established 16 overseas QIHUANG TCM centers and TCM schools in 12 countries, including Thailand, Hungary and Belarus, treating more than 80,000 patients and providing more than 100,000 volunteer consultations. Zhejiang Province has also built overseas centers of Chinese medicine in Israel, Belarus, New Zealand and other countries and regions.
It is reported that based on the work of the previous medical team of Chinese medicine aid to Cambodia, the national-level China-Cambodia Chinese Medicine Center undertaken by Xiyuan Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine was officially signed and has been included in the Joint Declaration of the People's Republic of China and the Kingdom of Cambodia on Building a Community of Destiny in a New Era.
The Plan proposes that during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China will cooperate with "One Belt and One Road" countries to build 30 high-quality overseas centers of Chinese medicine, promulgate 30 international standards of Chinese medicine, create 10 brand projects for the overseas dissemination of Chinese medicine culture, build 50 The Chinese medicine international cooperation bases and a number of national Chinese medicine service export bases will be built.
Crossing the ocean to "learn from China"
At the same time, there are more and more TCM enthusiasts from countries along the "Belt and Road" coming to China to "learn" and bring TCM back to their own countries, so as to make this Chinese treasure They then bring TCM back to their own countries, so that this Chinese treasure can benefit more people.
Forty-three-year-old Malaysian Lim Sze Kwong is one of those who came to China to learn more about Chinese medicine. While studying for his doctorate at Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Lim also runs a Chinese medicine clinic in Malaysia, using the knowledge and techniques he has learned in China over the years to serve the local people.
"My father was a TCM practitioner, and I grew up with an interest in TCM, so I came to China to study TCM theory and techniques systematically when I was in college, and then continued to study for my master's and doctorate here." Lim said that the professional treatment methods he learned in China and the profound culture of Chinese medicine have strengthened his determination to open a good Chinese medicine clinic and promote Chinese medicine in Malaysia.
Although the TCM clinic is small in size, it is well-equipped, clean and tidy. It not only provides services such as acupuncture, tui-na and bone-setting, but also regulates miscellaneous internal diseases and prescribes according to different illnesses.
"Although the course of Chinese medicine is slow, the effect is good and the damage to the body is small. Dozens of people come to see the doctor every day, and many of them come for many times." Lin Shiguang said that nowadays, the acceptance and recognition of TCM in Malaysia is growing, the number of TCM clinics is increasing, and more and more people like him are going to China to "learn from the experience".
According to Zhou Yadong, dean of the School of Humanities and International Education and Communication of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, the university has been recruiting international students in Chinese medicine since 1994, and many of them come from Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and other countries along the "Belt and Road".
Zhou Yadong said"Chinese medicine is an important area of cooperation between China and the countries along the 'Belt and Road'. We hope that by training more overseas talents who love TCM, we can provide TCM healthcare services to more local people."
