CRI听力:China Speeds up Promotion of TCM around the Globe

At a national TCM conference held in Beijing over the weekend, Wang Guoqiang, Director of China State Administration of TCM, says standardization of TCM is crucial for its internationalization.

"We should make full use of international platforms, such as WTO and ISO, and actively participated in the establishment of relevant TCM standards. We should also nurture TCM medical staff through international cooperation and internationally-recognized TCM brands."

TCM is a broad range of medicinal practices dating back thousands of years.
 

It includes various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage, exercise, and dietary therapy.

Many in China still rely on Traditional Chinese Medicine, but its acceptance overseas has been hindered by its lack of modern scientific proof and cultural differences.

Critics argue that TCM's theory isn't based on scientific knowledge, complaining there is a lack of cost-effectiveness in researching TCM.

But proponents say TCM is based upon a different way of thinking and unique outlook on the human body, which should not be judged by the standards of conventional medical science.

The Chinese government has been trying to make TCM globally accepted through international accreditation.

The International Organization for Standardization, the ISO, last year approved two TCM standards, including one which requires that sterile acupuncture needles can only be used once.

An additional 19 ISO standards for TCM are under development, including the standardizing of a device which is used in the cooking of herbal medicines.

Jiang Libing is the chief manager of a Beijing-based medical equipment maker which manufactures the device.

"China should have a leading voice in setting the standards for this device. We feel our device should extract at least 50-percent of the medical-effective ingredients of the herbs. But this proposal has been opposed by Japan and South Korea, because they can't make devices up to our standard."

Ye Zhengliang with Tianjin Tasly Pharmaceutical, a TCM drug maker, says his company is pushing for the approval of its Dansheng Dripping Pill by US regulators.

The pill, used for heart failure and blood vessels disorders, is undergoing the final phase of clinical testing by the US Food and Drug Administration.

"The prospective standard of the pill will not only cover the Dansheng Dripping Pill but also cover its original materials, manufacturing process and its herbal additives. We feel the standards, once approved, it will help the standardization of other TCM medicines."

Dansheng is the Chinese name for Salvia miltiorrhiza, a perennial plant highly valued for its roots in traditional Chinese medicine.

For CRI, I'm Yin Xiuqi.