TCM expo in Gansu to explore setting industry's national standards

An upcoming expo focusing on traditional Chinese medicine will bolster efforts in standardizing TCM products and facilitate their entry into the global market, health officials said on Aug 2.

The second China Chinese Medicine Industry Expo will be held in Longxi county in Northwest China's Gansu province from Aug 22 to 24, according to the National Health Commission, which will hold the event jointly with the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the provincial government of Gansu.

"To establish universal standards on the quality of TCM products is a fundamental step in boosting development of the national TCM industry," said Yang Longjun, a senior official with the health commission of Gansu province.

"The expo will provide a platform for new policies and standards concerning the TCM sector to be rolled out and explained by professionals," he added.

Gansu province is home to some 300,000 hectares of areas with TCM plants, with about 40 percent planted in a scientific and standardized manner to maximize yields.

"We will further increase the ratio of standardized planting areas, covering the whole manufacturing process, from seed selection to logistic services," Yang said.

This year, the Central European country of Hungary has been invited as the guest of honor, and another 45 foreign business from countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative will gather in Gansu to showcase their TCM products.

The administration will hold a forum devoted to discussing how to further promote TCM awareness and application in Belt and Road countries, and seek cooperation opportunities through the forum, Ouyang Bo, an official with the administration, said.

China has been pushing balanced development of both TCM and Western medicine in recent years.

In late July, the central committee for deepening overall reform released a guideline aimed at advancing development of the TCM industry through a series of measures, including fostering more talent, improving the supervision system and enhancing the role of TCM in disease prevention and clinical treatment.