Chinese medicine has made great achievements in going global

December 12, 2018-people's daily online - overseas edition of People's Daily

The 15th world congress on traditional Chinese medicine has concluded in Rome, Italy. The conference issued the world's first declaration on traditional Chinese medicine -- the Rome declaration, which called for building a community of Shared future for human health and designated October 11 as "world day of traditional Chinese medicine" every year. Since then, people of traditional Chinese medicine at home and abroad have their own festivals. In recent years, the "traditional Chinese medicine fever" continues to heat up all over the world, and the overseas promotion of traditional Chinese medicine has yielded fruitful results.

The news of good news is heartening

Recently, the pace of internationalization of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has accelerated, and major breakthroughs have been made in many fields, ushering in many "firsts".

The world health organization (who) has for the first time included traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in its medical program. Information on TCM will be included in chapter 26 of the 11th edition of the global medical program, which will be implemented by who members in 2022, nature reported.

The federation of world societies of traditional Chinese medicine (WCMC) recently issued a notice that the basic requirements for standardized decocting centers developed by China have been adopted and implemented on a global scale, which is the first world standard in the field of traditional Chinese medicine decocting that has been passed.

The sino-australian international research center for traditional Chinese medicine (cicm) recently released in guangzhou the evidence-based series of TCM clinical evidences, which is the first international monographs to systematically sort out and strictly evaluate the clinical efficacy of TCM using the holistic evidence method.

"In this century, a pattern of two-water diversion, double-peak and cuicui traditional Chinese and western medicine will be formed!" Wu binjiang, President of Ontario college of traditional Chinese medicine in Canada, believes that traditional Chinese medicine not only brings benefits to the Chinese nation but also the people all over the world, and is an important contribution of the Chinese nation to the world community of human life. Cooperation with the world health organization and the world organization for standardization is an important strategic measure to further integrate traditional Chinese medicine into international practice. It has not only practical significance, but also far-reaching political significance, which will promote the legislation of TCM in various countries.

The entry of TCM into the mainstream medical system is just around the corner. Sang binsheng, secretary-general of the world federation of Chinese medicine societies, pointed out that the inclusion of TCM in the classification system by the world health organization marks a new starting point. The international standardization of TCM is an important way to enter the mainstream international medical system and medical insurance system. At present, the international organization for standardization/technical committee on traditional Chinese medicine (ISO/TC 249) has passed dozens of Chinese proposals with satisfactory results.

Chinese standards are becoming world standards. Sun xiaobo, director of the institute of medicinal botany, Chinese academy of medical sciences, said that in recent years, the research results of Chinese traditional medicine scholars have been published in top international academic journals, and professor tu youyou won the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine in 2015. All these have made TCM stand on the world stage, recognized by the international community for its value in the field of life sciences, and promoted the entry of Chinese standards into the world system.

Unprecedented opportunities to take root

On the way of "going out" of traditional Chinese medicine, overseas Chinese have been pioneers and pioneers. In 1972, taking Nixon's visit to China as an opportunity, some TCM practitioners in China went abroad and traveled all over the world. In the western world, where western medicine occupies a monopoly position, it just breaks out of the world and takes a firm foothold.

Overseas TCM practitioners not only shoulder the responsibility of inheriting TCM overseas, but also train a large number of "foreign TCM" from their home countries. Wu binjiang pointed out that due to the legislation on acupuncture and moxibustion in many countries, western medicine cannot meet the requirements of traditional Chinese medicine and can only follow the development path of pure traditional Chinese medicine. The original ecological inheritance of pure traditional Chinese medicine, which was interrupted in China a hundred years ago, was developed by establishing "collateral circulation" overseas.

In Europe alone, according to incomplete statistics, there are now more than 100,000 trained TCM personnel. There are more than 10,000 TCM diagnosis and treatment institutions, more than 500 wholesalers of imported TCM products, and more than 300 TCM teaching institutions, sending more than 5,000 TCM personnel to various countries every year.

All kinds of TCM associations have mushroomed and developed vigorously. Professional organizations such as the all-european federation of Chinese medicine societies, the European chamber of commerce of traditional Chinese medicine, and the all-european federation of higher education colleges of traditional Chinese medicine, initiated by overseas Chinese, have become strong support for the legislation of traditional Chinese medicine.

The achievement of internationalization of traditional Chinese medicine has not come easily. Today, in the face of international competition, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) not only welcomes the great era and rare opportunities, but also has its own strong advantages.

"One Belt And One Road" and the promotion of globalization are the Gospel of TCM. Sun xiaobo said that China's comprehensive national strength and influence in the world have been continuously enhanced. Under the new situation of mutual learning and exchange of civilizations, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), with overseas Chinese as the media, has become a shining card for people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and other countries.

The trend of modern medicine is from analysis to integration and systematization. Sang binsheng pointed out that TCM originated from Chinese philosophy, emphasizing the holistic view and advocating the unity of man and nature. Overseas Chinese have fully inherited and spread this dialectical thinking. At present, there are many problems in western medicine. For example, the curative effect of immune and metabolic diseases is not outstanding, but traditional Chinese medicine has a lot of experience, and the side effects of drugs are small, which is in line with people's pursuit of the concept of nature.

The rise in medical expenditure on western medicine has overwhelmed governments and provided historical opportunities for the development of traditional Chinese medicine. Wu binjiang said that the progress of modern medicine is based on high technology, and the research and development of new drugs and the upgrading of medical equipment require large investment.

Seek common ground while reserving differences

Traditional Chinese medicine "go out" has achieved initial results, but how to go faster and farther? There are still stumbling blocks ahead that cannot be ignored. It is urgent for all sectors of society to work together to eradicate them. The wisdom of overseas Chinese is urgently needed to open up the situation.

The biggest obstacle is cultural differences. According to sang binsheng, TCM does not only focus on specific lesions, but also integrates Yin, Yang, deficiency, solid, surface, inside, cold and heat. The philosophy of western medicine is based on material, pays attention to the texture and effective ingredients, and the culture has been formed for a long time, so it is difficult to reach mutual understanding in a short time.

Objective evidence on the effectiveness and safety of TCM clinical application is still insufficient. According to sun xiaobo, TCM lacks in-depth basic research and evidence for clinical evidence-based medicine research in line with international standards, lacks relevant quality control standards, and China's current standards cannot meet the needs of international development.

Personnel, grounding gas, intellectual property rights are three difficult problems, but also a breakthrough. After years of practicing medicine outside China, wu binjiang concluded that the first step for TCM to go global is for its personnel to go global. China should cooperate with competent TCM colleges run by local Chinese to train overseas personnel and obtain professional certificates.

"Down-to-earth" means to cooperate with local reputable clinics, colleges and companies, so as to save time for enterprises to explore overseas and quickly integrate into local society. Chinese people at home and abroad should also join hands to build large chain clinics of traditional Chinese medicine and realize large-scale operation.

In addition, overseas Chinese should first register the intellectual property rights related to traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture and moxibustion with the host country, which can effectively reduce and prevent the inferior competition among peers. Protecting the independent intellectual property rights of traditional Chinese medicine, which have been nurtured for thousands of years, is the responsibility of TCM practitioners around the world.

Looking into the future, sang binsheng said that the world federation of Chinese medicine societies will unite the forces of overseas Chinese around the world, cooperate with state institutions, promote the "going global" of traditional Chinese medicine from the civil and social level, and call for legislation of traditional Chinese medicine, academic exchanges and scientific research model to be closer to international standards. Give voice to China and have a say in the field of TCM.

Difficulties and hopes coexist, opportunities and challenges coexist.

According to the national plan, by 2020, a new pattern of "One Belt And One Road" all-round cooperation in TCM will have been basically formed. China will cooperate with countries along the belt and road to build 30 overseas TCM centers, issue 20 international standards for TCM, register 100 TCM products, and build 50 demonstration bases for TCM exchanges and cooperation with other countries.

The road is long, but the road is short.

Sang binsheng said sentimentally at the closing ceremony of the world conference on traditional Chinese medicine: "the Rome declaration calls on the people of traditional Chinese medicine all over the world to have the courage to shoulder their responsibilities, inherit, develop and make good use of traditional Chinese medicine, and promote the development of traditional Chinese medicine at a higher level in the world to benefit all mankind.