New consortium expands global reach of TCM

​A patient receives tuina therapy at Longhua Hospital. [Photo by Gao Erqiang/International Services Shanghai]

A consortium for international trade in traditional Chinese medicine services was launched recently at a health forum held during the Lujiazui International Health Brand Festival.

The consortium brings together major institutions from eight countries across regions, including the Americas, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, creating an initial framework for global cooperation in TCM service trade.

Among the agreements reached, the medicinal plant research center at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in Kazakhstan will co-establish a TCM product research and development center.

The facility will promote cooperation in Central Asia through academic exchanges, product registration, and training programs.

Shang Li, director of the Shanghai International Cooperation Center of Traditional Medicine, said at the launch, "We will adopt an open and inclusive principle to deliver tangible outcomes swiftly, ensuring homegrown innovations stand firm and TCM services reach farther".

Nie Aiguo, a representative from the Shanghai Municipal Administration of TCM, noted that the collaboration covers the entire chain from R&D to commercialization to internationalization.

Nie stressed that pooling global resources, promoting standard recognition, and deepening industrial synergy would allow TCM to benefit more people worldwide, contributing Eastern wisdom to global public health.

As China's first professional institution dedicated to TCM trade in services, SICCTM boasts over 100 enterprise members and 200 professional members, with existing TCM promotion centers in multiple countries.