World Federation of Chinese MedicineSocieties Five-Year Development Plan

 

 

 

Traditional Chinesemedicine (TCM), the treasure of Chinese civilization, contains severalmillennia of Chinese health concepts and practical experience. It has not onlymade remarkable contributions to the China’s prosperity, but also had apositive impact on the progress of world civilization. At present, though humanbeings have made great progress in social development, mankind's health isfacing numerous effects, and health issues are still a global challenge. Inresponding to public health emergencies, TCM actively participated, constantlygave full play to its characteristic advantages and won internationalrecognition. This plan is formulated to promote the revitalization anddevelopment of TCM. It will make greater contributions to the promotion ofhuman health and the improvement of global health governance, so that torealize the beautiful vision of health for all.

 

 

 

1. Background ofthe Plan

 

Currently, TCM has spreadto 196 countries and regions. The number of people who have received Chinesemedicinal, acupuncture, tui na or qigong treatment is more thanone-third of the world's total population. Accordingto statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO), 113 Member States have endorsed the application ofacupuncture, 29 countries have establishedrelevant laws and regulations, 20 countries have integrated acupuncture intotheir health insurance systems and some countries’ health insurance systemscover other TCM therapies. More than 80,000 TCM medical institutions have beenestablished overseas, and various types of TCM practitioners reach about300,000. TCM has been registered in the form of drugs in Russia, Cuba,Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and the Philippines.

 

1.1 Further Improvement on Organizational Development

 

The World Federation of ChineseMedicine Societies (hereinafter referred to as “WFCMS”), under the leadershipof its Council and Supervisory Board, has improved its organizational buildingsystem. The team has grown continuously, absorbing 277 group members of 72countries and regions around the world, and established 204 branches of variousTCM disciplines. It has become the largest in scale, the most influential and authoritative international academic organizationof TCM.

 

1.2 Further Enhancement on Academic Leading

 

WFCMS has built a three-level academic conference platform based on World Congress of Chinese Medicine and Summer Summit ofWCCM, Five Continents Regional Forums and Branch Academic Conferences and hasformed the brand effect of international conferences, which further expandedthe academic exchanges among the international community. The annualconferences have covered more than 60 countries and regions for thousands ofTCM people to exchange experiences and demonstrate technologies. Especially,the academician-level summit forum held during the COVID-19 pandemic receivedwide social attention.

 

1.3 FurtherStrengthening the Talents Cultivation  

 

Talents are the executorsto realize the international development of TCM. WFCMS has always taken talentscultivation as the basic project of TCM inheritance and innovation. It haspromoted its members to establish various TCM education and traininginstitutions around the world, organized the formulation and release ofrelevant education standards and talent management standards. It has also carriedout international training, level examination and professional title evaluation,finally forming an international TCM professional and technical title frameworkand international training system. So far, more than 5,000 TCM professionaltechnicians from more than 40 countries have taken the proficiency tests. Nearly200 people from 27 countries and regions have obtained senior technical titles.

 

1.4 Standardization Construction Achieving Results

 

By 2020, WFCMS hasdeveloped and published more than 100 various types of TCM standards, including70 standards for international organizations, covering basic terminology,talents, education, medical treatment, scientific research and so on. After therelease of the International Standard for the Chinese and EnglishTerminology of Basic TCM Terms, it has been signed and adopted by industrybodies in 95 countries. The International Standard for the Chinese andFrench Terminology of Basic TCM Terms has been endorsed by the FrenchNational Agency for the Inspection of Medicines and Food and the NationalHospital Headquarters in Paris. After the publication of the World Standardfor Undergraduate (Pre-CMD) TCM Education, some TCM schools in New Zealand,Australia, Vietnam and Malaysia have indicated that they will refer to therequirements of the standard.

 

1.5 Scientific Research Achieving Progress

 

The scientific principlesof TCM acupuncture, AIDS treatment, the extraction and quality testing ofactive ingredients in Chinese medicinal, and the development of new products inTCM have become the targets of major international scientific and technologicalinnovations. When Tu Youyou was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology orMedicine in 2015, the International Classification of Diseases, Eleventh Revision (ICD-11, revised version) first including a chapter on traditional medicine including TCM, theinternational scientific research level of TCM is increasing with each passingday. According to the statistics, as many as 8,500 SCI-indexed journal paperson TCM are published globally every year. The core competitiveness of TCMcontinues to grow, reflecting the role of TCM in the development of worldmedicine. The Journal of World Chinese Medicine, created by WFCMS, iscurrently distributed in multiple languages in more than 60 countries and 90embassies worldwide. The official website of WFCMS and various media numbersprovide the most cutting-edge information at home and abroad with nearly 1,000news reports every year.

 

1.6 Gradual Development of Trade in TCM Services

 

TheTCM Big-health industry scale alone of China hasexceeded RMB 3 trillion in 2020. The big-health industry is recognized as oneof the largest industries in the world. WFCMS has successfully held fourinternational TCM big-health fairs, with more than 6,000 exhibitors from homeand abroad, covering more than 50 countries and regions. In addition, three TCMinternational health tourism development forums and one international healthtourism summit forum were held at the China International Fair for Trade in Services.WFCMS carried out the “Belt and Road, People-to-people World tour of TCM” tobuild an international TCM health tourism service platform. It also built theChina-France TCM Center (Seine) and promoting the development of TCM in Europe.

 

1.7 Worldwide Attention on TCM Culture

 

Currently, TCM acupuncture,taijiquan and Tibetan medicinal baths are included in the UNESCORepresentative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Huangdi'sInternal Classic and the Compendium of Materia Medica are selected tothe Memory of the World Register. The Rome Declaration, which published tothe world by WFCMS in 2018, determines October 11 as the “World ChineseMedicine Day”. It reflects the worldwide trend of attaching importance to anddeveloping TCM, and reflects the common voice of TCM practitioners around theworld. TCM culture has gradually become a new trend international popularity.

 

1.8 Further Enhancing theCooperation with International Organizations

 

As a formal non-governmental organization setting working relationship member of the World Health Organization(WHO), WFCMS regularly participates in the World Health Assembly, the workingand regional meetings of the WHO Executive Committee. It is the advisory bodyfor the protection of intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO, and the onlyrepresentative TCM sector. WFCMS has cooperated with the relevant nationaldepartments in the application for the inscription of Tibetan medicinal bathsand taijiquan which achieved results. It is the class-A liaison unit ofthe International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and has declared 25international standards to ISO. WFCMS has been granted “special consultativestatus” by the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and has enhanced itscommunication with the United Nations.

 

1.9 Further Deepening the Participationof TCM Medical Care in Global Health Governance

 

TCM has an advantageous effectin the prevention and treatment of common diseases, multi-morbidities anddifficult diseases. Especially, since the COVID-19 pandemic 2020, TCM has beendeeply participated in the prevention, control and treatment of the epidemicthroughout the whole course. The Chinese treatment plan, with synergycomplementary advantages of TCM and western medicine, has provided experiencefor the world to fight the pandemic. The efficacy of TCM has been affirmed byWHO and has aroused wide attention from the world community. WFCMS issued atimely initiative to the world, calling on all members and branches toproactively participate in the global anti-epidemic, has played an importantrole in community prevention and control, and impediment of epidemic spreading.

 

However, the internationaldevelopment of TCM still faces many difficulties and problems. The development of TCM around the world is uneven, and the breadth anddepth of its spreading are not sufficient. The internationalcommunication and development of TCM needs to be strengthened in terms oftalents, technology, standards, and curative effects. The international developmentof the TCM industry is relatively slow, and it needs to be further connectedwith the laws, regulations and access standards of various countries. The legalstatus of TCM in various countries needs to be further developed, itsintegration into the medical insurance system needs to be continuouslypromoted, and its cultural identity and political environment identity need tobe improved.

 

 

 

2. Guiding Ideologies, Basic Principles and Development Goals

 

2.1 Guiding Ideologies

 

We should conform to the trendof global economic and social development, adapt to the needs of human healthdevelopment, and aim at “full coverage of health” and “TCM for all”. Thestarting point is to improve the health and well-being of people in allcountries. We would adhere to the concepts of development, service, inclusivenessand pragmatism, adhere to the fundamental purpose of promoting wider communicationand development of TCM in the world,  adhere to the fundamental principle of theintegration of the TCM work into the overall development of various countries,adhere to the fundamental purpose of providing high-quality and efficient TCMservices to global members, and adhere to the fundamental driving force of continuousinheritance, innovation, and promoting high-quality development. We should makegreater contributions to serving global economic and social development,satisfying and improving human health, and building a human health community.

 

2.2 Basic Principles

 

2.2.1Adherence to Aims and Missions

 

We would take promoting theinternational communication and development of TCM as the foundation offoothold and source of existence. We would take serving the health requirementof the global public as the beginning and the end, and adhere to TCM benefitingglobal human health.

 

2.2.2Adherence to Inheritance and Innovation

 

With heritage as thefoundation and innovation as the wings, we would build a firm foundation fordevelopment, and make full use of modern science and technology and methods to promotehigh-quality development of TCM, so as to make an important contribution to thepromotion of TCM to the world.

 

2.2.3Adherence to Win-win Cooperation

 

We must make use of theadvantages of international organizations to implement greater scope, widerfields and deeper levels of opening cooperation. We would form an internationalTCM development pattern featuring linkage, diversified investment andmultilateral cooperation to achieve common development.

 

2.2.4Adherence to Making Differences

 

We would seize theopportunity, seek truth and be pragmatic, work hard, take active actions, focuson core areas such as the effectiveness of TCM, achieve breakthroughs, andimprove everyone’s health, so that people from all countries can share thefruits of TCM development.

 

2.3 Development Goals 

 

By 2025, WFCMS willcooperate more closely with international organizations and participate moredeeply in global health governance. The development of internationalcommunication of TCM will be more extensive and higher quality. Morehigh-quality and convenient TCM services for the world will be provided. Ahigh-level academic exchange platform will be built and significantly academicleadership will be enhanced. WFCMS will continuously promote internationalstandardization, further expand the scale and quality of international TCMeducation and further strengthen international cooperation in scientificresearch. TCM knowledge will be spread more widely around the world. TCMservice trade will develop rapidly and the industrial development will be more balanced.TCM will gain legal status and be incorporated into the mainstream medicalservice system and insurance system in more countries and regions, so as tofurther strength its contribution to human beings.

 

In the next five years, WFCMSwill build a first-class international academic organization of TCM, build afirst-class work team, develop first-class work and services, and become aninternational organization with the greatest influence in leading theinternational development of TCM.

 

 

 

3. Major Tasks

 

3.1 Participating in Global Health Governance and Buildinga Hygiene and Health Community of Human Beings

 

We must always integratethe work of the WFCMS into the overall development of international TCM as afundamental guideline. We would firmly uphold the noble ideal of safeguardinghuman health, deepen cooperation among international organizations, expandinternational relations, participate in global health governance, and furtherbring into play the important role of TCM in safeguarding human health. The communicationand cooperation with the United Nations, WHO, UNESCO, ISO and otherinternational organizations wouldbe deepened, to promote the implementation and update of the cooperation plan with WHO.We would actively participate in global anti-epidemic work, assist in theformulation of traditional medicine strategies, and strengthen exchanges andcooperation in international conferences, norms, guidelines and public welfareactivities. We would encourage group members and branches to strengthen communicationand cooperation with governments and play the role of NGOs in internationalaffairs. We would provide consulting services related to TCM, assist in developingpublic hygiene, medical and health care and other social work in variousregions, and contribute to the building of a human hygiene and healthcommunity.

 

3.2 Expanding the Scope of Global TCM Spreading andBringing TCM to the World

 

We must keep the aim ofpromoting and facilitating the wider spreading and high-quality internationaldevelopment of TCM, and firmly set the ambitious goal of TCM for all. In thenext five years, the number of countries and regions covered by group memberswill reach to 80, and the number of group members will be increased to 300. Wewould encourage branches and group members to use new technologies to improvethe level of TCM information construction, take advantage of the network andstrengthen international spreading. We would fully mobilize the enthusiasm ofgroup members and branches, unite colleagues from all walks of life around theworld who are interested in the cause of human health, carry out higher qualityinternational exchanges and cooperation, and further expand the breadth anddepth of the TCM international development.

 

3.3 Providing High-quality TCM Services to Benefit HumanHealth

 

We would always regardclinical efficacy as the core value of TCM spreading and development, optimizethe international service capacity of TCM, and make TCM better benefit humanhealth. We would encourage group members and branches to cooperate extensivelywith TCM medical institutions in various countries and build an exchangeplatform for overseas TCM medical institutions. We would promote TCMappropriate technologies for chronic diseases, functional diseases, pain andother TCM advantageous diseases, and further improve clinical treatmentcapabilities. At the same time, we would organize teams of international TCMexperts to carry out remote TCM medical consultation and consultation in duecourse, so as to provide high-quality and convenient health services of TCM topeople worldwide.

 

3.4 Giving Full Play to the Role of Academic Leadershipand Building a Platform for High-level Conferences

 

The “three-tier conferenceplatform” is an important tool for WFCMS to promote the development of TCM. Weshould further develop high-quality international academic exchange activitiesand enhance the influence of conference brands such as the World Congress ofTCM and the Summer Summit. Relying on the advantages of government platforms, wewould develop three to five new brands of regional conferences. We would focuson global health hotspots and disease prevention and control situations, andorganize thematic international conferences. We would make use of Internettechnology to further innovate conference models in the post-epidemic era. Wewill encourage branches and group members to hold annual academic conferences,enhance academic connotations, expand the scope of international exchanges, andcarry out higher quality international academic activities.

 

3.5 Strengthening Standardization Construction and Promotingthe High-quality Development of TCM

 

Standards are the“universal language” of international academic exchange and scientific andtechnological communication. We will give full play to the role of theinternational standardization platform of WFCMS as a bridge and link. We will increasethe number of various TCM standards issued to 150 by 2025, including the numberof international organization standards to 100. We would promote the adoptionand application of international organization standards, improve theconstruction of the international standardization expert database of TCM, builda professional talent team proficient in the development of internationalstandards, and complete international organizations of the whole process ofstandard revision work. We must continue to play the role of the ISO/TC249A-level liaison organization, actively participate in internationalstandardization activities, strengthen the recommendation and declaration ofprofessional terminology and other standard projects. Continuously enhance theinfluence and credibility of international standards in TCM, and promote theprocess of TCM high-quality development.

 

3.6 Strengthening International Talents Cultivationand Improving the Quality

 

We would encourage groupmembers and branches to carry out international online education in TCM, focuson promoting appropriate techniques in TCM and explore research and creation ofnew occupations in TCM. We will carry out various talent exchange and trainingprograms such as international heritage and lecture tours of TCM master, andassist in the establishment of the World TCM Heritage Workstation. We will researchand improve WFCMS international TCM talents cultivation and evaluation system,training service system and talent management system, and take advantages ofinformation technology to build a database of basic resources for internationalTCM talent flow and promotion. We would standardize the development ofinternational TCM professional and technical proficiency tests and explore newmodels of international TCM professional and technical proficiency tests incooperation with relevant international certification bodies. Within five years,we will strive to expand 2-3 new TCM professions, explore 1-2 new subjects inthe field of one-health, establish 3-5 cooperation centres with differentcontents and modes, and strengthen the long-term mechanism of international TCMprofessional assessment. We will improve the theoretical and clinicalcompetence of practitioners, and enhance the overall quality and practice levelof TCM institutions and practitioners worldwide.

 

3.7 Strengthening Scientific Research Cooperationand Promoting Heritage Innovation

 

We would encourage group members and branches to carry out internationalcooperation in TCM scientific research with high-level research institutionsand enterprises in various countries and build an international TCM clinicalscientific research collaboration system. We will carry out evidence-basedresearch on the effectiveness and safety of TCM. Promote research on theacademic heritage of TCM in various countries, produce a number of scientificresearch results that serve clinical and industrial development, and promoteTCM scientific and technological innovation. We would actively play the role ofintellectual property rights in international exchange and cooperation. Build agood image of the trademark brand of TCM, promote the effective connectionbetween the protection of traditional knowledge of TCM and the modernintellectual property rights system. We will build an evaluation system andprotection platform for the intellectual achievements of TCM of the WFCMS, andpromote the production and transformation of high-quality achievements. We willcontinue to improve the impact factor and distribution range of learnedperiodicals. By 2025, the Chinese journal of the World Journal ofTraditional Chinese Medicine will strive to enter the Chinese kerneljournals, the English journal will enter SCI, and the number of overseaslanguage editions will increase to 11, so as to promote the inheritance andinnovation of TCM.

 

3.8 Scientifically Popularizing TCM Knowledge and Tellingthe “Story of TCM”

 

We will spread and popularizecorrect knowledge of TCM and tell the “story of TCM”. We would continue toexplore the essence of TCM culture, plan and organize the “TCM MultilingualDigital Culture Spreading Project”, and launch 30 high-quality TCM culturemulti-carrier products. We will recommend 30 excellent TCM culture books inEnglish or Chinese-English to the world, continue to celebrate “World ChineseMedicine Day" and "World Traditional Medicine Day”, etc., andorganize TCM cultural tourism and other exchange activities. We would keeppromoting communication and liaison with UNESCO, the entry of TCM projects intothe list of non-patrimonial heritage at each level and the world inscription ofTCM projects, so as to enhance the influence of TCM.

 

3.9 Expanding International TCM Trade and Promotingthe Development of TCM Industries

 

We would encourage groupmembers and branches to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with governmentsin trade. We would make full use of overseas resources, establishing and improvingworking mechanisms and norms related to international trade in TCM services. Wewould build and improve global digital supply chains for TCM and traceabilitysystems for TCM to promote the healthy and orderly development of trade in TCMservices worldwide. We must strive for more countries to open their markets fortrade in TCM services. We will build 3-5 overseas TCM centers of WFCMS, cultivatetalents in TCM service trade-related fields, improve the international flow oftalents and labor dispatch services, and provide support for cross-bordermedical and health tourism and other services. We support group members andbranches to strengthen cooperation with enterprises, to attract overseas anddomestic markets to invest in TCM services and product trade. We would promoteinternational trade in high-quality, traceable authentic Chinese medicinals andChinese medicinal decoction pieces and create a good electronic trading serviceplatform for the world's authentic Chinese medicinals to promote high-qualitydevelopment of the international TCM industry.

 

3.10 Promoting Global TCM Legislation and ProvidingPolicy Guarantee

 

We would encourage groupmembers and branches to keep on promoting the legislative process of TCM worldwide,combining it with local requirements. We would actively participate in the workof improving the system of laws and regulations systems related to TCM andother traditional medicines, and establish a management system that meets thenational conditions of each country and protects TCM medical services. We mustsummarize the successful experience in the implementation mechanism oflegislation and legal protection of TCM and other traditional medicines toprovide support for the formulation of policies related to TCM in variouscountries and regions, to promote the legalization process of TCM in the world,and to promote the standardized development of TCM around the world.

 

 

 

4. EnsureImplementation Measures

 

4.1 Strengthening OrganizationalConstruction and Gather Development Forces

 

We would furtherconsolidate and improve organizational construction, further optimize theworking mechanism of international organizations, improve the construction ofgovernance system and governance structure, and continuously enhance governancecapacity. We must comprehensively strengthen the construction of the talentteam and enhance team potency. We would further deepen the awareness of servinggroup members, play the role of organization and coordination, support groupmembers to better obtain the support of host governments, and improve the worksynergy mechanism and collaboration. We must form a joint effort to promote theimplementation of the plan and ensure the solid advancement of the planningtasks.

 

4.2 Strengthening Policy Protection andCreating a Favorable Atmosphere

 

Each groupmember should strengthen communication and liaison with the government andrelevant departments based on the laws and regulations of the country where itis located. We would strive to obtain government support and policyinclination, so as to lay a good development atmosphere for the international spreadingof TCM. All group members, branches, secretariats and business departmentsshould formulate more specific implementation plans for the five-yeardevelopment plan and put the tasks related to the plan into practice. We wouldset up special funds for the five-year plan to support innovative practices inimplementing the plan and ensure the realization of the plan tasks.

 

4.3 Consolidating the Institutional Basisand Providing Support Guarantee

 

We must adhereto the constitution as the fundamental guideline, establish a perfectinstitutional system mechanism, continuously promote the construction of thegovernance system and governance structure, and continuously improve thegovernance capacity. We would lead group members and branches to participateextensively, and improve the system of common governance and sharing. We wouldstrengthen the normative construction to better perform the duties oforganizing, promoting, uniting and serving member groups. We must promoteexchanges, experiences sharing to better exemplify the leading role of Councilmembers. We would establish a mechanism for the division of major tasks andimplementation and a mid-term (regular) evaluation system for planning. We wouldstimulate vitality with a complete management system to escort the completionof planning tasks.

 

4.4 Strengthening Culture Construction andCreate Core Values

 

We must adhereto the concept of human hygiene and health community, pool ourstrength and give full play to the unique role of TCM in maintaining health,promoting people's livelihood and facilitating humanistic exchanges. We willgradually form a set of values with “loyalty and duty, unity and cooperation,learning and innovation, practical work and dedication” as the core value conceptand create a “three first-class” international organization of the WFCMS. Wewould lead the development of various business fields, form a brand effect, andpromote the international spreading of TCM.

 

During thecurrent and future periods, the international development of TCM is at animportant stage of strategic opportunity. The new round of scientific andtechnological revolution and industrial change will bring about new changes inthe international landscape, and the concept of human hygiene and healthcommunity will become increasingly popular. We shoulddeeply understand the new features and requirements brought about by thesechanges and the new challenges brought about by the complicated internationalenvironment. We would enhance our awareness of opportunities and risks, beadept at nurturing opportunities in crises and opening up new situations inchanges. We must seize opportunities and cope with challenges, carry forwardthe spirit of TCM doctors being professional and sincere, honest and helpful topeople, and never forget why we start, uphold our mission, go globalwith a higher level, so as to make greater contributions to human health.