José Graziano da Silva, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. He said that “I am very happy to be here, not only because I personally believe in the theory and practice of Chinese medicine, but also because that Chinese medicine plays an important role in achieving a zero-target sustainable food system.” He believes that Chinese medicine is a systematic science created by the Chinese people. Chinese medicine is a sustainable agricultural and food system. Chinese medicine has great potential for knowledge sharing and South-South cooperation.

 

Li Ruiyu, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Italy and the Republic of The Republic of San Marino, attended the congress and delivered a speech. He pointed out that Italy is the end of the ancient Silk Road and the meeting point of the “Belt and Road Initiative”. China and Italy have unique advantages in strengthening international cooperation. China´s development cannot be separated from the world, and the development of the world cannot be separated from China. Chinese medicine is a valuable resource and an important carrier of Chinese excellent culture, and also a window for dialogue between Chinese and Western civilizations. He believes that the combination of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine will bring more new benefits to the maintenance of human health and make new contributions to the exchange of Chinese and Western civilizations.

  

Ma Jianzhong, former Deputy Director of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Chairperson of WFCMS, attended the congress and delivered a speech. He pointed out that the exchanges and cooperation between China and Italy in economic, political, cultural and medical fields are increasingly close. Especially since the launch of the “Belt and Road Initiative”, the Italian government has actively sought the coordination and cooperation of the modern medical model and the Chinese medicine system to achieve a more scientific, complete and healthy medical service system. Ma Jianzhong requested to focus on improving the clinical ability of Chinese medicine practitioners, further exerting the important role of Chinese medicine in health care; vigorously promoting the development of more comprehensive and specific international medical cooperation in Chinese medicine; and further promoting the establishment of international standards and rules for Chinese medicine.

  

He Jialang, Chairman of the Italian Society of Chinese Medicine and Vice Chairperson of WFCMS, delivered a speech on behalf of the organizer. He pointed out that as the most important congress on Chinese medicine in the world in 2018, Quillini, the Secretary General of Italian Presidential Office, sent a congratulatory letter and brought the warm greetings from President Sergio Mattarella. As an effective natural medicine, Chinese medicine is widely welcomed by the people in the local country. Chinese medicine has also received a large amount of new information feedback outside of China, paving the way for Chinese medicine to shift from East Asian regional medicine to world medicine.

 

Giuseppe Ruocco, Secretary General of the Ministry of Health of Italy, was entrusted by the Minister of Health to attend the congress and delivered a speech. On behalf of the Ministry of Health of Italy, he expressed warm welcome to the opening of 15th World Congress of Chinese Medicine in Rome, hoping that Chinese medicine will play a more important role in the Italian health system.

 

The awarding ceremony of the 6th International Contribution Award of Chinese Medicine was held in the opening ceremony. As the only international award in the field of Chinese medicine in the world, the International Contribution Award of Chinese Medicine has been successfully held for five times and was awarded overseas for the first time this year. Megyessy Peter, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Hungary, and Prof. Guo De’an, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences won the award.

  

In the keynote speech session, Zhang Boli, the Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering made a report on "The Opportunities and Tasks for the Development of Chinese Medicine in the New Era"; Zhu Miansheng and her team made a report on "Taking the Advantages of both Chinese and Western Medicine, Providing Solutions of Acupuncture and Moxibustion to Address Major Diseases"; Guo De’an made a report on "The Overall Quality Standards of Chinese Materia Medica and its Development"; Li Yongming gave a report on "The Bottlenecks and Countermeasures of the Development of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture in USA"; Lin Qiuxia gave a speech on "Scientific Research Report on Chinese Medicine Treatment of Dry Eye in Singapore"; Naldi made a report on "Acupuncture Treatment of Chronic Diseases - Building a Bridge between Different Medical Cultures in China and Europe - Introduction to the CHETCH Project".

 

During the congress, delegates discussed and exchanged ideas on the themes of basic theoretical research of Chinese medicine, clinical practice of Chinese medicine, research practice of acupuncture and moxibustion, research on Chinese materia medica, research on integrated Chinese and Western medicine, inheritance and development of Chinese medicine manipulation schools, international standardization and informationization of Chinese medicine, the development and legislation of Chinese medicine in various countries of the world, the protection of Chinese medicine culture and intangible cultural heritage, the protection of authentic medicinal materials and endangered rare animals and plants, and the trade in Chinese medicine services.

 

In the same period, the third meeting of the Fourth Session of the Third Council Board, the Standing Council Board and the Third Supervision Board of WFCMS will be held to review the Declaration of Rome (Draft).

 

Wang Xiaopin, Director of the International Cooperation Department of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SATCM), Zhao Wenhua, Deputy Director of the Department of Medical Administration of SATCM, Liu Wenwu, Deputy Inspector of the Policy, Regulation and Supervision Department of SATCM, Sun Chengyong, Scientific Counselor of the Embassy of People’s Republic of China in Italy, Ramon Maria Calduch, Chairperson of the Supervision Board of WFCMS, Lin Tzi Chiang, Zhao Yingjie, Dong Zhilin, Tony Staudinger, Ye Fukun, Zhang Yi, Xu Zhifeng, Lin Rongsheng, Huang Xiansheng, Wu Binjiang, Deborah Lincoln, the Vice Chairperson of Council Board of WFCMS, Onorio Rebecchini, Chairman of the Rome and Lazio Convention and Exhibition Bureau, Massimo Bray, former Minister of the Culture Ministry of Italy, Giulio Fraticeli, former Army Commander of Italy, Massimo Bray, Director of Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tito Lucrezio Rizzo, Italian Presidential Office Adviser, former General Office Director, Domenico Scilipoti, Senator in Congress, Filippo Anelli, Italian Federation of Surgery and Dentistry Physicians, Chiriaco Dario, Director of the Italian Association of Unconventional Drug Applications, Jean-Pierre Armano, President of the French Society of Oncology, and the leaders and guests of more than 60 branches of WFCMS, attended the congress.

 

The congress was guided by the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, supported by the Embassy of the People´s Republic of China in the Republic of Italy, hosted by the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies, organized by the Italian Chinese Medicine Association, the Italian National Acupuncture Association, supported by the Italian Conference and Exhibition Bureau, the Rome and Lazio Conference Bureau.

 

From WFCMS