Traditional Chinese medicine is receiving increasing attention around the world, showing an encouraging trend of development.

Turning from conquering nature to living in harmony with nature, people now favor natural medicines. As a result, the global herbal medicine market is growing by 10 percent annually.

Ten European countries are pursuing a research program on the potential for traditional medicine, and trying to reach an agreement on the scientific nature and legal status of traditional medicine.

The 1982 Chinese Constitution established the legal status and defined the scientific nature of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Related laws and regulations have been promulgated, and a dozen local regulations on TCM and 170-odd industrial rules relating to it have been issued.

As an important part of human civilization, traditional medicine has for thousands of years made significant contributions to the development and prosperity of human society. It still plays an irreplaceable role in health care and the treatment of difficult diseases in present-day world.

Environmental pollution, aging of society, changes of disease characteristics, prevention and treatment of diseases, toxicity and side effects of chemical medicines, and increase in diseases caused by medicines have all aroused great concern in modern society. High medical expenses and huge investment to reduce the costs also require new solutions.

After serious examination and profound consideration, more and more people have come to realize the scientific value of traditional medicine.

Theory Advantage. Traditional medicine initially discovers the laws governing the activities of the human body, which provides new knowledge and a new theoretical background for the development of medicine science.

Treatment Advantage. Traditional medicine applies different treatment to different patients, depending on the nature of the ailment, and the time and place, which complies with the development trend of modern medical science. The unique theory and practice of traditional medicine provide satisfactory treatment for viral diseases, cardiovascular and cranial vascular diseases, immunological diseases, metabolizing diseases and diseases of the aged.

Prescription Advantage. Traditional medicine boasts rich natural medicine resources. In TCM, for instance, there are 12,807 kinds of medicinal materials and 100,000 prescriptions. China now produces 5,000 kinds of patent drugs, which is a huge bank of resources for the development of new medicines. These medicines and prescriptions, long tested by clinical practice, have the advantages of low investment and risk, and short production cycle. They will become hot subjects for global research and development, and the building of a new pillar industry in the future.

Health-Preservation Advantage. Traditional medicine has systematic theories and effective methods related to nourishing the body, health care and promotion of longevity. Guided by the theory of "medicine and food sharing the same source," various kinds of multi-functional foods have been developed to help prolong life, adjust the body's immunity and relieve fatigue, which have a huge potential market.

Easy to Spread and Reduce Medical Cost. How to let everybody enjoy health care has become a major task for medical work around the world. The natural physical therapies of traditional medicine with small toxicity and side effects, low costs and easy application make it easy to provide both basic medical services and high-level health care, thus enhancing the quality of life.

In recent years, traditional medicine has made encouraging achievements almost all over the world. More than 120 countries and regions have established various traditional medical organizations and institutions. The scientific research input into traditional medicine has increased remarkably. The application of acupuncture and herbal medicines, as well as the practice of traditional medicine have gained legal recognition in many countries and regions, and have been included in various medical care and insurance systems. More and more governmental organs are studying the management and regulation of traditional medicine by legal means. Ten European countries are jointly studying ways to institutionalize traditional medicine, including the training and management of practitioners.

Industrial enterprises engaged in TCM now exceed 1,000 in China, and traditional workshop production has been replaced by modern production techniques, which help enhance the production level and product quality, and increase the diversity of TCM prescriptions.

To date, China has set up 2,629 TCM hospitals, 134 hospitals specializing in the traditional medicine of ethnic groups, and 53 hospitals combining both TCM and Western medicine.

In addition, there are 170 TCM scientific research institutions with nearly 20,000 professionals, and 30 institutes of higher learning of TCM and the traditional medicine of ethnic groups, with altogether 58,000 students. They have received more than 20,000 students from over 100 countries and regions in the past two decades. The number of overseas students studying TCM ranks first among all overseas students studying natural sciences in China. TCM institutes in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Nanjing and Tianjin have become major choices for foreign students.

Meanwhile, the seven cooperative centers and three acupuncture training centers built in China by the World Health Organization have trained 2,000 TCM professionals and technicians from all over the world.

China has established stable relations with some 50 countries and regions, and signed exchange and cooperation agreements on traditional medicine with them. It intends to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with others in the following fields:

* Engaging in exchanges of state policies on traditional medicine to promote mutual understanding and support, particularly in the areas of legitimization, resource allocation, research, teaching, medical care, production and trade.

* Protecting the intellectual property rights relating to traditional medicine.

* Promoting the modernization of TCM by means of modern science and technology. On the principle of equality and mutual benefit, China is willing to engage in exchanges and cooperation with others in TCM information, fundamental research, practical application, drug research and development, scientific method and scientific management, either in China or abroad.

* Conducting overseas TCM education in cooperation with foreign governments and research institutions, and welcoming foreign scholars to engage in exchanges and cooperation in China.

* Engaging in medical cooperation within the legal orbit of different countries to establish TCM treatment centers or hospitals for the effective treatment of difficult diseases by means of TCM, particularly in treating cardiovascular and cranial vascular diseases, cancer, AIDS, hepatitis, bone joint diseases, skin disease and diabetes.

* Cooperating with overseas scientific research institutes, universities and pharmaceuticals companies to develop new safe, highly efficient and stable TCM drugs, pursuing exchanges and cooperation in the planting, breeding, bio-engineering technology application, and quality standard studies of such drugs.

　　Legitimization of TCM

TCM has made outstanding contributions to the development and prosperity of the Chinese nation, and positively influences the health of human society and world civilization. Since the founding of New China in 1949, the development of TCM has received great concern and support from Party and state leaders. A series of principles and policies have been formulated to protect, support and develop TCM. Health care undertakings in China have made remarkable progress over the past few decades, thanks to the efforts of all medical workers.

The Constitution of the People's Republic of China passed by the Fifth Plenary Session of the Fifth National People's Congress in 1982, stipulated in its General Principles that "the state develops medical and health services, promotes modern medicine and traditional Chinese medicine," providing a legal basis for the development of TCM.

Along with the acceleration of socialist legal construction, laws and regulations related to TCM have been issued one after another, including the Law on Drug Management in 1985, the Law on Certified Physicians in 1998, and the Regulations on the Protection of Wild Medicinal Resources, the Regulations on the Protection of TCM Drug Varieties and the Regulations on the Management of Medical Institutions, published by the State Council.

The State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine has drawn up some 170 regulations and rules covering institution construction, medical service, health care, personnel training, science and technology management, TCM production and management, and foreign exchange and cooperation in the field of TCM.

Local TCM legal construction has also been accelerated. To date, the people's congresses of 11 provinces and municipalities have published local regulations on TCM.

Meanwhile, a comprehensive administration law is being formulated to define the status and role of TCM work in various social relations, the target of TCM undertakings, the principles and guidance for TCM work, the rights and obligations of TCM administration departments at various levels, the regulations for TCM medical service, education, scientific research, and foreign exchange and cooperation. At the same time public support for TCM work will promote the healthy, sound and sustained development of this valuable contribution made by China to the health of mankind.

(From China Intrnet Information Center)