The Forum on the High-quality Development of National TCM Service Export Base, sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce of China and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and organized by China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Medicines and Health Products and the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies, was held in Beijing during 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) on September 3. The theme of this forum is “Trade in Service of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Innovative Development”. The forum was attended by nearly 120 people including Wang Bingnan, Vice Minister of Commerce; Huang Luqi, Deputy Director and Party Group Member of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine; Zhang Boli, a fellow of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; representatives of the first group of national TCM service export bases and the commerce and TCM authorities in the provinces where the bases are located, as well as representatives of TCM service trade institutions.

Wang Bingnan pointed out that promoting the healthy development of the trade in TCM service is an important way to diffuse Chinese culture and build “Chinese service” brands. Since 2020, the COVID-19 epidemic has been sweeping around the world. The downward economic pressure and stricter entry and exit management caused by the epidemic cause shock and challenges to the development of overseas TCM service institutions. At the same time, the TCM has attracted attention and positive comments from the international community for its stellar performance in the fight against the epidemic. New business forms and new models such as digitalization-enabled online diagnosis and treatment give a new impetus to the trade in TCM services. We see a “window period” for the development of trade in TCM services. Judging from the pilot statistics of trade in TCM services, China’s trade in TCM services has been developing steadily. Despite the epidemic, relevant Chinese pilot institutions at home and abroad obtained 570 million yuan in income from TCM service exports in 2020. The Ministry of Commerce will put into practice the decisions and plans made by the Party Central Committee, guide the construction of the national TCM service export bases in concert with the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and promote TCM services worldwide. It is hoped that all bases will fulfil the important mission of developing the international market for trade in TCM service and exploring the innovative development of traditional Chinese medicine.

Huang Luqi said that the trade in TCM services is a health industry with fully independent intellectual property rights and tremendous potential for original innovation in China. Greater efforts to guide the trade in TCM services and support the trade in TCM services will have a positive effect on facilitating the structural adjustment of China’s service trade structure, building Chinese service brand, and driving job creation and economic growth.

Huang Luqi stressed that we should promote demonstration development, keep abreast of the needs of the international market, implement the Measures to Support the High-quality Development of the National Traditional Chinese Medicine Service Export Bases released by seven government bodies including the Ministry of Commerce, crack the problems in the development of the bases, and facilitate the high-quality development of the bases. We should promote integrated development and jointly build a new pattern of development featuring “dual circulation”. The Chinese market of TCM health service industry promises huge potential. It is necessary to exploit the unique advantages of TCM service in promoting the development of the health service industry, make overall plans for domestic and international markets, promote the integration of TCM service with tourism, forest-based health care and eldercare, etc., speed up the use of TCM for health preservation, preventive treatment of disease and health promotion for people with chronic diseases, and promote a dual-cycle development pattern relying on both domestic and international economic cycles, with the domestic cycle being the mainstay. We must consistently promote open development, turn crises into opportunities, capitalize on the advantages and features of TCM in fighting the epidemic, and help build a community of common health for mankind. The TCM service export bases should exploit the therapy strengths of TCM to provide quality TCM services to the people of the international community, help fight the COVID-19 epidemic, and assist in building a community of common health for mankind.

At the forum, Zhang Boli, and the relevant heads of the Department of Trade in Services and Commercial Services of the Ministry of Commerce, and the Department of International Cooperation of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine delivered keynote reports. The heads of the first group of national TCM service export bases and representatives of the commerce and TCM authorities in the provinces where the bases are located shared experience. Representatives of some key TCM service trade institutions conducted salon-style exchanges on the topic of “promoting the establishment of an international technological system and network for TCM”.