Lei Jufang, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, proposes establishing a Tibetan medicine resource protection 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. This poses a serious challenge to the sustainable development of the Tibetan medicine industry. Therefore, we hope to first establish a Tibetan medicinal resource conservation area and gradually expand it to include plants from higher-altitude regions,” 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 the First Finance Daily on the afternoon of March 2.

　　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 at the 2016 Two Sessions, it is indicated that the Tibet region currently boasts 2,436 types of Tibetan medicine 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 medicine 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 genetic 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-leisure tourism. This park will serve multiple functions, including resource collection and preservation, health-and-wellness tourism and resort experiences, production and R&D of health-care products, talent cultivation, and science popularization and education. It will highlight the profound depth and richness of traditional Chinese medicine, showcase its significant contributions to the progress of human civilization, and embody the enduring theme of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

　　Reporting media: Yicai.com

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