A visitor weighs traditional Chinese medicine using a Chinese scale at the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services. Photo: Chu Daye/GT

Global cooperation in jointly building the Health Silk Road is becoming a new growth point for Belt and Road countries with great potential to develop, officials and experts said at the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) which concluded in Beijing on Wednesday.

"The Health Silk Road has become an important public good offered by China for deepening global healthcare cooperation," Qin Xiaoling, a senior official with National Medical Products Administration, said at the 6th Belt and Road Forum for Traditional Chinese Medicine Development, a sideline event at CIFTIS.

China's development of compound artemisinin is considered as the "backbone" for global malaria treatment that has effectively contained the deadly disease in African countries, was frequently cited as one of the most recognized contributions by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to the world.

As the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the world over the past three years, TCM has played an important role in fighting the virus and safeguarding people's health around the world amid efforts by all countries to build a global community of health for all, experts attending the seminar said. 

Siddharth Chatterjee, UN resident coordinator in China, said that, regarding the issue of escalating antibiotic resistance, the thorough research of ancient healing techniques may help people identify natural alternative to disease treatment that do not add antibiotic resistance hazard.

As this year marks the 10th anniversary of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, a report was released at the seminar, explaining achievements including the WHO traditional medicine clinical trials registry platforms, the world's first cross border registry system for traditional medicine, in 2023.

"We are pleased to observe in the new era of the Belt and Road Initiative, health cooperation including TCM, is strengthening," Martin Taylor, WHO Representative to China, said at the forum.

Taylor noted the need to demonstrate safety and effectiveness, and emphasized regulation, systematic data, research and monitoring for safety and efficacy that could allow more people to be convinced of the benefits traditional medicine offers.

The forum also highlighted TCM cooperation could help develop associated industries, and create more jobs for people around the world.

"We have a lot of raw materials for TCM. Such cooperation can improve the revenue of trade in services, through exports of some traditional medicines," Ivan Zyuulu, Ambassador of Zambia to China, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

China's exports of traditional medicine grew from $4.02 billion in 2019 to $5.69 billion in 2022, data from the China Chamber of Commerce for Import & Export of Medicines & Health Products revealed.

The forum is hosted by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and Beijing Municipality.