China-ASEAN conference boosts traditional medicine industry prospects

Representatives from ASEAN countries expressed optimism for the development prospects of traditional Chinese medicine at a recent conference in Taiyuan, Shanxi province.

The 2024 China-ASEAN Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry Exchange and Promotion Conference kicked off on Friday. The event's theme is "Inheritance and Development · Harmony and Coexistence". It attracted over 300 participants, including ASEAN countries' ambassadors to China, representatives from international organizations, international chambers of commerce, and central and provincial TCM authorities, medical institutions, universities and relevant enterprises.

"Traditional Chinese medicine is very popular in Cambodia because it can treat a variety of diseases," Nhek Soparama, minister counselor of the Cambodian embassy in China, said at the conference. "Over the past two years, more than 20,000 Cambodians have received TCM treatment."

Shanxi is a major producer of traditional Chinese medicinal materials thanks to its natural geographical environment that nurtures a range of authentic medicinal resources.

Data shows that the province is home to 1,788 types of Chinese medicinal materials and has a cultivation area of over 373,333 hectares.

There are 194 processing enterprises in Shanxi, with medicinal materials totaling 660,000 metric tons, accounting for 11.61 percent of the national total.