The CPPCC委员’s “heartfelt concern”: Focusing on the development of traditional Chinese medicine in the country.

　　The fourth session of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) opened today at 3 p.m. in the Great Hall of the People. More than 2,000 CPPCC members from various political parties, groups, ethnic groups, and sectors are earnestly fulfilling their functions of political consultation, democratic supervision, and participation in state affairs. Bearing the expectations of the people and carrying with them the voices and aspirations of the masses, they have traveled to Beijing to jointly discuss matters of national importance.

　　In recent years, the state and the government have attached great importance to the development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), successively formulating and introducing policies and measures to promote the industry’s growth. In 2013, the State Council issued the “Several Opinions on Promoting the Development of the Health Service Industry.” In 2015, the “Development Plan for TCM Health Services (2015–2020)” was released. On February 22, 2016, the State Council further published the “Outline of the Strategic Development Plan for TCM (2016–2030).” The significance of TCM’s development for economic and social progress is self-evident, and members of the CPPCC from the medical and health sectors are equally deeply concerned about the future of TCM in our country.

　　Lei Jufang, Chairperson of Tibet Qizheng Tibetan Medicine Co., Ltd.: Establishing a Tibetan Medicine Resource Conservation Zone

　　With the rapid development of the Tibetan medicine industry, there has been a trend of exploitative harvesting of certain Tibetan medicinal resources, leading to a year-on-year shortage of some medicinal resources and even putting them at risk of extinction, thereby posing serious challenges to the sustainable development of the Tibetan medicine industry. 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., stated: “We hope to first establish protected areas for Tibetan medicinal resources and gradually expand these areas to include plants from higher-altitude regions.”

　　Recently, Premier Li Keqiang pointed out at the State Council Executive Meeting that leveraging the strengths of traditional Chinese medicine can better benefit human health. The meeting decided to strengthen the protection and utilization of Chinese medicinal material resources and to standardize their cultivation and breeding practices. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is one of China’s regions with the richest biodiversity; Tibetan medicinal herbs sourced from this area 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 Tibetan Medicine Resource Protection Zone,” which Lei Jufang will submit to the 2016 Two Sessions, it is indicated that the Tibet region currently boasts 2,436 types of Tibetan medicinal resources, including 2,172 plant species, 214 animal species, and 50 mineral species. However, due to limitations in technological means and market conditions, these resource advantages have not been fully exploited.

　　Lei Jufang suggested establishing a Tibetan medicinal resource conservation area centered on Tibet, and including it as a key project in the nation’s 13th Five-Year Plan for ecological protection and restoration.

　　The four specific implementation pathways include: First, implementing in-situ conservation by establishing a core protection zone for Tibetan medicinal resources in Nanyi Gou, Linzhi, Tibet. Second, carrying out ex-situ conservation through wild cultivation and artificial propagation to protect rare, endangered Tibetan medicinal species and important large-scale medicinal plants in areas such as Linzhi, Ali, Shannan, and Chayu in Tibet. Third, advancing ex-vitro conservation efforts by establishing germplasm and gene banks for Tibetan medicinal materials, preserving seeds, tissues and organs, DNA, and other organs or tissues of endangered or endemic Tibetan medicinal resources. On this basis, conduct research on germplasm resources, 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. While preventing species degradation, rapidly expand 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 industrial park integrating three key sectors: resource industries, natural products and health-care product manufacturing and processing, and eco-friendly 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. It will prominently showcase the profound depth and richness of traditional Chinese medicine, highlight its significant contributions to the progress of human civilization, and embody the enduring theme of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

　　Zhao Dongke, Chairman of Dongke Group: Establish an Independent Regulatory System for Traditional Chinese Medicine

　　To ensure the effective implementation of the State Council’s decision on promoting the development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), it is imperative to establish an independent regulatory system for TCM. By setting up an independent management framework for TCM—including aspects such as talent cultivation, management of TCM hospitals, management of TCM practitioners, management of professional title promotions, and regulation of Chinese medicinal materials—we can systematically develop a management model that is tailored to the unique characteristics of TCM and reject the practice of simply copying the Western medicine model.

　　The National Medical Products Administration should launch a validation initiative for pharmaceutical production processes that accurately reflect the realities of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) manufacturing. In terms of TCM processing and quality standards, it is essential to highlight the unique characteristics of TCM and its natural-product features. We should encourage TCM pharmaceutical enterprises to actively play their proactive and leading roles. Regarding procedures, where no significant qualitative changes are involved, we should streamline procedures and requirements to expedite approval or filing processes. In promoting innovation and development in TCM, we should lower the threshold for developing time-honored and well-known TCM prescriptions, encourage research and application of preparations formulated by medical institutions, protect a number of folk remedies and ancestral formulas, and gradually explore and develop new TCM drugs with proven therapeutic effects.

　　Wu Yiling, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering: Leverage the advantages of translational medicine in traditional Chinese medicine to promote the healthy development of the TCM cause.

　　"Translational medicine" is a new trend in the international medical and health field in recent years. The typical meaning of translational medicine is to transform basic research findings into genuine therapeutic interventions for patients, emphasizing that medical scientific research should be guided by patient needs. The translational medicine model has become an inevitable trend and the core component of medical development.

　　In his proposal, Committee Member Wu Yiling pointed out that in recent years, China’s modernization of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has failed to fully leverage the distinctive advantages of translational medicine. As a result, in TCM education, research, and new drug development, there has emerged a threefold disconnect: "those who teach cannot treat patients; those who treat patients are unfamiliar with Chinese herbs; and those engaged in pharmaceutical research lack medical expertise." This phenomenon undermines the proper manifestation of TCM’s inherent principles and hinders its healthy development. Moreover, in the modernization research of Chinese medicines, the emphasis on formulas and prescriptions while neglecting underlying theoretical principles has led to low-level duplication in new drug development and made it difficult to improve clinical efficacy.

　　He suggested that the development of translational medicine in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) should follow the inherent developmental principles of TCM itself. Starting from top-level design, we need to establish teaching, research, and new-drug approval mechanisms that are consistent with the laws and characteristics of TCM development. In the new-drug approval process, emphasis should be placed on the integrity of theory, methodology, formulas, and medicines; innovation in theoretical frameworks and originality in prescription formulation must be given high priority. We should also improve support mechanisms, incentive systems, and safeguard mechanisms—for instance, by giving special support to research models centered on TCM and featuring cross-disciplinary integration, as well as by supporting TCM research projects and platform development that align with the principles of translational medicine. By leveraging our strengths in key disciplines and integrating resources, we can achieve a seamless integration of industry, academia, and research, enabling more innovative drugs—those characterized by theoretical breakthroughs, original prescription formulations, and enhanced therapeutic efficacy—to move into industrial production. This will allow TCM to play an even greater role in reforming the healthcare system and ensuring the health of the people.

　　Jiao Jialiang, Chairman of Panlong Yunhai Pharmaceutical Group: Yi Medicine Is “Endangered”—Its Inheritance and Protection Are Urgently Needed.

　　Currently, the four major ethnic medical systems—Tibetan, Mongolian, Uyghur, and Dai—have relatively well-developed traditions. However, the inheritance and development of Yi medicine are facing a critical situation: there is a severe gap in generational succession, and Yi medicine is on the verge of extinction. The main issues include: First, insufficient financial support; second, the Yi medical care service system is weak and fails to meet the needs of inheriting and developing Yi medicine; third, a systematic mechanism for cultivating Yi medical professionals has yet to be established. Yi physicians have not been included in the national qualification examination system, which severely hinders the training and development of Yi medical talent. Moreover, Yi medicine experts across the country are now seriously aging, and various factors—including the “generational gap” in the transmission of Yi medicine—have led to a growing shortage of qualified personnel and lower levels of utilization and development. Fourth, at the national policy level, there is a lack of a systematic policy framework to ensure the sustainable inheritance and coordinated development of ethnic medicines.

　　Regarding the submission of the proposal titled “Focusing on Strengthening the Yi Ethnic Medicine Industry and Promoting the Protection and Inheritance of National Medicine,” Jiao Jialiang stated, “As an important component of China’s traditional ethnic medicine, Yi medicine is one of the ‘Four Great Ethnic Medicines’ and has been praised by foreign scholars as ‘the world’s most renowned medical tradition.’ It has now been listed as part of China’s intangible cultural heritage. Our ancestors left behind many valuable medicinal formulas in their struggle against nature. Yunnan Baiyao and Detoxifying and Beauty-Enhancing Capsules are also derived from Yi medicine. However, at the policy level, there are still many inconsistencies and shortcomings, and systematic support remains inadequate. This year, I’ve drafted a proposal on the development of Yi medicine, hoping to draw the attention of relevant government departments.”

　　To promote the inheritance of Yi ethnic medicine culture and the development of the biopharmaceutical industry, Jiao Jialiang put forward five recommendations:

　　1. Establish a special fund for the inheritance, protection, and development of Yi ethnic medicine culture, and strengthen the professional development of Yi medicine institutions.

　　2. Strengthen the development of specialized educational institutions for Yi medicine, support the national-level certification of Yi physicians, and provide talent support for the inheritance of Yi medical culture.

　　Third, we will strengthen policy research on Yi medicine, promote the standardization and institutionalization of ethnic medicinal culture, accelerate the development of the Yi medicine industry, and expedite the review and approval process for applications to register Chinese medicines developed under the guidance of Yi medical theory. We will provide policy support for Yi medicines already on the market as they are included in the National Essential Medicines List and the National Medical Insurance Catalogue. We will also offer policy support for the use of internally prepared formulations by Yi hospitals. In revising laws and regulations such as the "Drug Administration Law" and the "Measures for Drug Registration Management," we will attach great importance to the research and development of ethnic medicines, clearly define the definition and connotation of ethnic medicines, and encourage the development of modern Chinese medicines guided by ethnic medical theories, thereby transforming the achievements of ethnic medicinal culture into real productive forces.

　　4. Attach great importance to the relationship between the origin and quality of Yi medicine, promote the cultivation of medicinal resources used by the Yi ethnic group, and emphasize the development and application of authentic medicinal materials.

　　V. Build and enrich the cultural essence of Yi medicine, widely and effectively popularize Yi medical knowledge, and leverage the creative cultural industries of ethnic groups to drive the development of Yi medicine. Fully harness the unique advantages of Yi medicine, and jointly promote the internationalization of traditional ethnic medicines—including Yi medicine—across multiple dimensions such as Chinese medicine culture, academic research, education, industry, publishing, tourism, and marketing. This will help create a new paradigm for Yi medicine development that transcends disciplines, fields, and industries, thereby advancing the modernization of Yi medicine and enabling it to reach out to the world.

　　Reporting media: MeneNet

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