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.

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