Zhiren XUDirector General, Dept. of Medical Affairs Administration, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is excellent culture of the Chinese people. In recent years, the Chinese government has made a range of policies to boost its development: first, inheriting, exploring, systemizing and advancing TCM; second, integrating TCM into the medical healthcare system of China; third, creating good policy environment for the development of TCM; fourth, integrating WM with TCM; fifth, attaching equal importance to western medicine and Chinese herbal medicine; sixth, developing TCM at the same time of inheriting TCM; seventh, protecting and making good use of Chinese herbal medicine resources for its sustainable development; finally, modernizing TCM with new science and technology. Besides these government policies, China has a relatively complete legal system on TCM. A range of laws and regulations on TCM are made, such as The Drug Administration Law of P. R. C. and Medical Practitioners Law of P. R. C. etc. A group of special comprehensive administrative regulations on TCM are promulgated, such as TCM Regulations of P.R.C. (Oct 1st, 2003). Hundreds of department regulations, documents and technical standards are released, such as industrial standards on TCM technique and management.

In accordance with the abovementioned policies and regulations, China’s main task on TCM development is as follows: first, developing TCM treatment and preventative healthcare service; second, pushing forward inheritance and innovation of TCM; third, enhancing the construction of talented workforce; fourth, upgrading development level of Chinese herbal medicine industry; fifth, accelerating the development of ethnic medicine; finally, prospering TCM culture and pushing forward the globalization of TCM.

Despite these tasks, a lot of achievement has been made. First, Preliminary TCM service system are set up, accessibility enhanced; second, TCM service is widely applied in the treatment; third, preliminary multi-form, multi-level, multi-channel TCM educational system is established comprising of college education, apprentice education and further education; fourth, basic multi-subject and multi-level TCM scientific research pattern is formed; fifth, Chinese herbal medicine industry develops rapidly; sixth, TCM cultural value is emphasized, with TCM cultural development making brand-new achievement; seventh, integrated western and Chinese medicine, and ethnic medicine develop very fast, becoming an important component of TCM industry; finally, TCM has been spread to the world, enhancing China’s international influence.