China Releases 'Belt and Road' TCM Development Plan Highlighting the 'Five Connectivities' and Product Registration Targets
According to VCBeat, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the National Development and Reform Commission recently jointly issued the “Belt and Road” Development Plan for Traditional Chinese Medicine (2016–2020).Aimed at strengthening exchanges and cooperation with countries along the “Belt and Road” in the field of Traditional Chinese Medicine (including ethnic medicine), and pioneering a new pattern of all-around opening-up for Traditional Chinese Medicine.
The Plan requires that by 2020, a new pattern of all-around cooperation for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) under the Belt and Road Initiative be basically established; 30 overseas TCM centers be jointly built with countries along the routes; 20 international standards for TCM be promulgated; 100 TCM products be registered; and 50 demonstration bases for external exchange and cooperation in TCM be established. The value of TCM medical treatment and health preservation shall be widely recognized by people in countries along the routes, more such countries shall acknowledge the legal status of TCM, and TCM cooperation with these countries shall achieve greater scope, higher levels, and deeper integration through extensive openness, exchange, and convergence.
1. Policy Communication, and improve intergovernmental exchange and cooperation mechanisms. Implement bilateral cooperation mechanism projects and international organization platform projects, strengthen exchanges and experience sharing on policies and regulations, personnel qualifications, product registration, market access, and quality supervision in traditional medicine, and actively participate in the research and formulation of development strategies, operational rules, policy trends, and standards and norms of international organizations.
Second, resource interoperability, sharing Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) services with countries along the Belt and Road. Implement the Overseas TCM Centers project to support various outstanding TCM institutions in cooperating with countries along the Belt and Road to establish 30 overseas TCM centers. Implement the International TCM Medical Bases project to attract residents from countries along the Belt and Road to receive TCM healthcare services in China, improve the service quality of domestic TCM medical institutions, and promote their inclusion in international health insurance systems. Implement the Overseas Registration Project for TCM Products by establishing a public service platform for overseas registration of TCM products, supporting the registration of 100 mature TCM products in countries along the Belt and Road as pharmaceuticals, health supplements, or functional foods.
3. People-to-People Connectivity, and strengthen people-to-people exchanges with countries along the routes. Implement joint educational programs, international education bases for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and international cultural dissemination projects for TCM in collaboration with these countries. Encourage TCM higher education institutions and social organizations to cooperate with renowned universities along the routes, integrate TCM disciplines into their higher education systems, and establish more Confucius Institutes specializing in TCM in countries where conditions are ripe. Provide degree-oriented TCM education, short-term training, and clinical internships for participants from countries along the routes.
4. Technological Connectivity, and promote the inheritance and innovation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Implement high-level international scientific and technological cooperation projects in TCM, support TCM research institutions and higher education institutions in jointly establishing joint laboratories or research centers with countries along the Belt and Road, and conduct evidence-based medical research on TCM targeting common diseases, frequently occurring diseases, and major diseases in these countries. Implement international standardization projects for TCM, focusing on the Traditional Medicine Chapter of the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases (ICTM) project and the platform of the ISO Technical Committee on Traditional Chinese Medicine (ISO/TC249), and promulgate 20 international standards.
5. Trade Connectivity, and develop the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) health service industry. Implement TCM service trade projects, TCM health tourism projects, and projects involving TCM participation in negotiations on China’s free trade zones with foreign countries. Establish 10 demonstration zones, 100 demonstration bases, and 1,000 demonstration projects for TCM health tourism. Promote the inclusion of TCM in China’s free trade agreements with other countries, expand market access for TCM in participating countries, and reduce barriers to entry for TCM services and products.
To ensure smooth implementation, the plan also specifies four measures: improving policy mechanisms, increasing financial and fiscal support, strengthening talent development, and enhancing organizational execution. It proposes leveraging the role of the Silk Road Fund to support Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Belt and Road Initiative projects, encouraging social capital to establish TCM Belt and Road Initiative funds through various forms, and encouraging insurance funds to participate in TCM Belt and Road Initiative construction projects. Eligible backbone TCM enterprises recognized as high-tech enterprises may enjoy a reduced corporate income tax rate of 15%. Local governments at all levels shall incorporate TCM Belt and Road Initiative work into their economic and social development plans.