Committee Member Lei Jufang: Hopes to Establish a Tibetan Medicine Resource Conservation Zone

　　Lei Jufang, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Chairperson of Tibet Qizheng Tibetan Medicine Co., Ltd., photographed by Wu Jiajia, reporter for China Economic Net.

　　“Along with the rapid development of the Tibetan medicine industry, there has been a trend of exploitative harvesting of Tibetan medicinal resources, leading to a year-on-year shortage of some medicinal resources and even raising the possibility of their depletion, thereby posing serious challenges to the sustainable development of the Tibetan medicine industry,” said Lei Jufang, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Chairwoman of Tibet Qizheng Tibetan Medicine Co., Ltd., in an interview with a reporter from China Economic Net. She expressed her hope that a Tibetan medicinal resource conservation zone could be established, with the Nanyi Gou area in Linzhi, Tibet, serving as the core protection zone, while also adopting a comprehensive layout covering multiple sites—from the high-altitude Ali region down to the low-altitude Motuo—based on ecological characteristics.

　　Lei Jufang expressed her hope that the Tibetan medicine resource conservation area could be designated as a key project under the 13th Five-Year Plan for national ecological protection and restoration. “The core area covers more than 3,000 mu, with an additional 30,000 to 40,000 mu planned for future development. The value and significance of this initiative have already gone beyond mere economic pursuits by enterprises. We sincerely hope to receive support and assistance from the national government.” The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is one of China’s regions with the richest biodiversity. Tibetan medicinal herbs sourced from this region boast remarkable therapeutic effects and have played a vital role in safeguarding public health for thousands of years.

　　In her proposal titled “On Establishing a Protected Zone for Tibetan Medicinal Resources,” submitted to the 2016 Two Sessions, Lei Jufang pointed out that Tibet boasts 2,436 species of Tibetan medicinal resources, including 2,172 plant species, 214 animal species, and 50 mineral species. At the same time, however, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is also one of China’s most ecologically fragile regions. Lei Jufang explained that, along with the rapid development of the Tibetan medicine industry, there has been a surge in the exploitative extraction of certain Tibetan medicinal resources, leading to a year-on-year depletion of some of these medicinal resources. Moreover, currently, both domestically and internationally, efforts to protect Tibetan medicinal resources remain extremely weak; there is still no dedicated institution specifically tasked with protecting Tibetan medicines, nor have any protected zones for Tibetan medicinal resources been established.

　　The Tibet region serves as a convergence point among the Southern Himalayan Flora Region, the Eastern Tibet Flora Region, the Yarlung Tsangpo River Valley Flora Region, and the Tanggut Flora Region, boasting rich and diverse plant resources. Milin County in Linzhi City is located in the southeastern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region and features a plateau temperate subhumid monsoon climate. The annual average temperature is 8.2°C, with annual precipitation reaching 641 millimeters and abundant sunshine. With a forest area of 4.8 million mu, Milin County is a natural treasure trove of plant and Tibetan medicinal resources, home to more than 360 commonly used Tibetan medicinal herbs.

　　“Establishing a Tibetan medicine resource conservation area is essential for protecting the natural environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,” believes Lei Jufang. By establishing such a conservation area, we can enhance our capacity for research and development related to Tibetan medicinal resources, promote the cultivation and protection of wild and semi-wild Tibetan medicinal herbs, and simultaneously advance large-scale, standardized cultivation practices. This will enable us to use Tibetan medicinal resources effectively and rationally, reduce the overexploitation of precious wild resources, minimize human-induced environmental damage, and create conditions for both the environment’s self-recovery and human-assisted restoration efforts.

　　Lei Jufang suggests the following measures: First, implement in-situ conservation by establishing a core protection zone for Tibetan medicinal resources in Nanyigou, Linzhi, Tibet. Second, carry out ex-situ conservation by conducting wild cultivation and artificial propagation to protect rare, endangered Tibetan medicinal species and important large-scale medicinal plants in regions such as Linzhi, Ali, Shannan, and Chayu in Tibet. Third, advance ex-vitro conservation efforts by establishing a germplasm bank and a gene bank for Tibetan medicinal materials, preserving seeds, tissues, organs, DNA, and other organs or tissues of endangered or endemic Tibetan medicinal resources. On this basis, conduct research on germplasm conservation, wild cultivation, semi-wild cultivation, conversion from wild to cultivated, domestication, introduction of species from other regions, and development of substitutes for rare and endangered Tibetan medicinal resources. This will not only prevent species degradation but also rapidly increase population sizes, thereby promoting the protection, optimized regeneration, and sustainable utilization of rare and endangered Tibetan medicinal resources. Fourth, building upon the conservation of Tibetan medicinal resources, comprehensively develop and utilize these resources to drive low-carbon economic development in Linzhi, Tibet, and create an integrated industrial park that combines resource industries, natural product and health-care product manufacturing and processing industries, and eco-leisure tourism. This park will serve multiple functions, including resource collection and preservation, health-oriented resort tourism, production and R&D of health products, talent cultivation, and science popularization and education.

　　Brief Information on Delegates and Committee Members:

　　Lei Jufang, female, born in 1953, is from Lintao, Gansu Province. She graduated from Xi'an Jiaotong University in 1977 with a bachelor's degree in vacuum physics and holds the title of senior engineer. She currently serves as Chairperson of Qizheng Group, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and Vice Chairman of the Autonomous Region Federation of Industry and Commerce. She has previously held positions as Senior Engineer at the Lanzhou Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Director of the Lanzhou Institute of Industrial Pollution Control Technology. She has received numerous international and domestic science and technology awards, including the Gold Medal at the Geneva International Invention Exhibition and the Second Prize for National Scientific and Technological Progress. She has also served as a deputy to the Tenth National People's Congress, a member of the Eleventh National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, a standing committee member of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and Vice President of the China Association for Promoting Public Welfare.

　　Reporting Media: China Economic Net - Economic Daily

　　Report link: http://www.ce.cn/xwzx/gnsz/gdxw/201603/05/t20160305_9302129.shtml