Global medicine ties enriched By Tie Kan (China Daily) Updated: 2004-08-07 09:40
China has strengthened co-operation with overseas agencies on traditional
Chinese medicine (TCM) in recent years.
By last month, China has signed memoranda with 17 countries, including Italy,
the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Moldova, about co-operation in the
field of traditional Chinese medicine, data from the State Traditional Chinese
Medicine show.
TCM has also been included as part of co-operation agreements with 54
countries.
In line with the memoranda, China and its overseas partners will carry out
exchange and training of professionals, and research and develop herbal
medicines.
For example, China and Moldova plan to set up a national centre of
traditional Chinese medicine in Moldova. They will give policy support to the
licensing of TCM doctors and approval and application of TCM products.
The signing of memoranda indicates the recognition of TCM and its
administrative agencies in overseas countries. However, more needs to be done to
promote legislation, according to officials with the State Administration of
Traditional Chinese Medicine.
The State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine lately has launched
a strategy to promote TCM's entry into the world market.
Research has been carried out to standardize manufacturing of TCM products.
Also, action has also been taken to emphasize IPR protection and the
conservation of resources, said Shen Zhixiang, an official with the TCM
administration.
Chinese TCM researchers and developers are also working hard to introduce
more high-tech products to the outside world.
A recent success story is the Kanglaite injection, an anti-cancer TCM
invented by Zhejiang Kanglaite Pharmaceutical Co in Hangzhou, in east China's
Zhejiang Province.
The medicine has been approved for clinical application as a prescribed
medicine by the health authority in Russia, say sources with the State
Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
