The Belt and Road Alliance for Traditional Chinese Medicine

The Belt and Road Alliance for Traditional Chinese Medicine (The Alliance) was proposed by CUHK and initiated by the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningxia Medical University, Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Sichuan Province and the Modernized Chinese Medicine International Association. It is a non-profit cooperative organization established in 2023 and formed by uniting traditional medicine institutions across the Belt and Road countries and regions. Currently, the founding members of the Alliance include 30 provincial-level universities and colleges, as well as 21 renowned enterprises in the field of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

Mission

The Alliance aims to bring together TCM institutions along the Belt and Road regions. Its goals include fostering new productive forces, cultivating high quality professionals, advancing the modernization and international collaboration of traditional medicine, and contributing to global health initiatives.

In response to the national strategic plan for TCM, the Alliance promotes the industry-academia-research collaboration in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, other Belt and Road countries and districts. Through organizing regular activities, it serves as a professional platform for research institutions and enterprises to facilitate discussions and interactions.

Inauguration Ceremony and The Presidents' Forum 2023

The inauguration ceremony of the Alliance and the Presidents’ Forum 2023 was successfully held on November 2, 2023, at CUHK. The event received support from the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (NATCM), and Professor Huang Luqi, the Deputy Director, delivered a keynote speech on behalf of the NATCM. The event was attended by leaders from over 20 traditional Chinese medicine universities and colleges.

During the event, presidents from 12 institutions, experts from the World Health Organization (WHO), and leader from the Sichuan Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine gave speeches and engaged in discussions on strategic TCM development, its global expansion, and collaborations in modernised industry, academia, and research.

The Presidents' Forum 2024

The Presidents’ Forum 2024 was held at CUHK on August 16, 2024. More than 30 presidents and representatives from traditional medicine-related universities and colleges in mainland China and among the Belt and Road countries and regions gathered on the CUHK campus to discuss the internationalisation and modernisation of traditional medicine.

Over 300 attendees from more than 60 institutions attended the event, including representatives from the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the HKSAR, the Hong Kong government, and TCM administrative bureaus and government departments from provinces in mainland China, as well as ambassadors or consuls-general from various countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

The attendees witnessed a plaque-unveiling ceremony for the Belt and Road International Laboratory for Innovative Traditional Medicine Research, with several universities from Canada, Malaysia, Thailand, South Africa and Sri Lanka joining as new founding member units of the Alliance. Professor Xu Hongxi, Chairman of the Alliance, delivered a keynote speech on “Opportunities and Challenges of Traditional Medicine Globalisation”, highlighting the importance of improving the quality and standards of traditional medicine, strengthening international cooperation and promoting scientific research.

In addition, 25 participating presidents and representatives had in-depth discussions on the internationalisation and modernisation of traditional medicine, the establishment of a new-form university of traditional medicine, and the development of new quality productive forces in traditional medicine, in three round-table sessions. The event concluded with the closing ceremony of the 6th Advanced Training Program on the Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine along the Belt and Road.

Officiating guests, presidents and representatives from traditional medicine-related universities at the Presidents’ Forum 2024 of the Belt and Road Alliance for Traditional Chinese Medicine at CUHK.

The plaque-unveiling ceremony of the Belt and Road International Laboratory for Innovative Traditional Medicine Research.

Professor Xu Hongxi, President of the Alliance gives a keynote speech.

Round-table Discussion I The Internationalisation and Modernisation Development of Traditional Medicine.

Round-table Discussion II Establishing a New-form University of Traditional Medicine.

Round-table Discussion III The Development of New Quality Productive Forces in Traditional Medicine.

For more information about the Alliance, please refer to the booklet.