Illustration: Liu Xiangya/Global Times

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a treasure of Chinese civilization that has been recognized by the world. A recent online video even showed that a US fighter jet wing stationed in Florida also practices TCM to "keep fit and maintain combat capabilities." This aroused the interest of many Chinese netizens, who wondered why such a large US military force would resign themselves to using small acupuncture needles. Despite the US' "decoupling" policy, traditional Chinese culture can still connect the people of the two countries together. While it made many Chinese feel proud of their ancient wisdom, it also sent a warning to some Chinese who deny its influence and effect.  

In the Facebook video, a US doctor treats Airmen with massage, cupping, and even guasha, or scraping therapy, with the subtitles reading: "Let our most important force keep fit to maintain fighting power... The attendees have received different ways of treatment of TCM to help cure immediate pain and alleviate pressure."  

"Isn't the US military supposed to be politically correct?" "Aren't they afraid cupping and acupuncture needles will destroy the US Airmen?" 

These were just some of the comments netizens posted in light of the US' current hostile attitude toward China. Of course, there were many netizens who said they felt proud of China's ancient wisdom, with some saying: "This is the best proof [of the efficiency of TCM] as the US uses it." 

Indeed, marked by The Inner Canon of Yellow Emperor, traditional Chinese medicine boasts a history of more than 2,000 years. As TMC contends that man is an integral part of nature and all organs of the human body are interconnected and meant to exist in unity, so one symptom is never looked at individually, but treated from many different perspectives. The therapeutic principles focus on regulating the balance of yin and yang, strengthening the body's resistance and eliminating pathogenic factors. TCM uses therapies such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage, cupping, qigong and a good diet in order to help the human body recover. 

According to Nouvelles d'Europe, in 2018, the World Health Organization included TCM into its globally influential medical program for the first time. This shows that TCM is really an effective medical treatment that can fill in the blanks of Western medicine. 

In modern China, TCM has been supplemental to Western medical treatment. It has over thousands of years of history, yet Western medical treatment only has nearly 200 years of development in China. In recent years, TCM has increasingly been accepted by young people, a sign of China's cultural confidence. Even during the pandemic, TCM contributed to preventing the disease with medicines such as "lung-clearing and detoxifying granules." Yet there are still some Chinese who ignore the truth of their own traditional medicine.

In the US, however, TCM has become more and more popular with gradual legalization. Although the US has the world's top modern medicine, it has not completely solved the following two problems: The first is a high misdiagnosis rate and abuse of medicines and the second is a lack of effective therapies for some chronic and difficult diseases. So it encourages practicing TCM therapies, especially acupuncture. According to US acupuncturist Frank Griffo, a former member of the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco, there are more than 8,000 TCM clinics and 60,000 acupuncturists in the US today. TCM is playing a more important role in its medical system because it is a safe method of treatment. Therefore, it may be easy to understand why even the US Air Force has also chosen TCM to maintain military fitness.

During these difficult times for China-US relations, some US politicians have promoted a "decoupling" policy toward the Chinese economy and technology, so it is good that TCM and its philosophical concepts can link the US to China, and even cross political barriers and connect people in different sectors, even the military. The world is a shared community, so it is merely a wishful thinking for the US side to "decouple" from China completely. In addition, while many netizens were also amazed by the influence of their traditional culture, some opponents should also understand that TCM is a valuable asset within Chinese culture that should be carried forward.