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Law on traditional Chinese medicine facilitates sound development of TCM

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The Law on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), China’s first special law on TCM, has provided strong legal protection for the healthy development of TCM since it went into effect in July 2017.

Thanks to the law, various TCM-related undertakings and industries in China have made significant progress, while TCM’s unique role in maintaining and promoting people’s health and advancing the country’s Healthy China initiative has grown increasingly distinct in the past four years.

China sees constant improvement in its TCM service system and capacity. By 2019, the country had 66,000 TCM medical institutions of various kinds, 67.4 percent more than that in 2012. Meanwhile, the annual number of TCM visits reached 1.16 billion and that of patients discharged from TCM hospitals and institutions across the country exceeded 39.5 million.

“My daughter has an upset stomach, Dr. Guo has been helping her ,” said a resident in Nanning, capital of south China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, referring to a TCM doctor at the health service center in the community he lives in.

“We had been to big hospitals. But they have too many patients there, and the procedures for consultation are troublesome. So we prefer the clinic near our home,” the resident added.

The health service center was opened to help residents access TCM services near their homes, said Ye Haiyan, director of the center.

As a matter of fact, there are many such grassroots health service centers in China. According to statistics, 98.3 percent of the community-based health service centers, 97.1 percent of the public health centers in townships, 85.9 percent of the health service stations in communities, and 71.3 percent of the village clinics in China can provide TCM services for patients. All these figures have risen significantly than before, signaling an evident increase in the accessibility to TCM services, which means that more Chinese residents can now see TCM doctors and get TCM prescriptions near their homes.

The quality of TCM materials has been a matter of concern to a lot of people, as it not only affects the reputation of TCM, but its inheriting and development.

The disqualification rate of TCM materials in China has declined with each passing year, according to an engineer at a TCM material testing center in Longxi county, northwest China’s Gansu province.

With the implementation of the law on TCM, quality supervision mechanisms of TCM materials in China have been improved gradually. From 2018 to 2020, relevant authorities carried out random checks on an average of about 50,000 batches of TCM materials and decoction pieces every year, with the qualification rates being 88 percent, 91 percent, and 98 percent respectively.

Although it was Sunday on May 9, Gansu Provincial Hospital of TCM in Gansu was still crowded with patients. Wang Zili, an 86-year-old renowned TCM doctor of the hospital, was imparting experience to his son and students while seeing patients in a TCM workroom named after him on that day.

By continuously intensifying efforts to foster TCM talents, exploring and innovating TCM talent training model and deepening coordination between TCM education and practice, China has gradually formed a TCM talent training system featuring organic links between education in colleges and universities, education after graduation, and continuing education, as well as a master-apprentice relationship throughout the learning process.

As of the end of 2020, the country’s number of TCM personnel reached 767,000, and 0.45 TCM practitioners (or assistants) could be ensured for every 1,000 persons.

“One of our TCM preparations prepared with traditional techniques has been widely used in clinical practice in the front line of the battle against the COVID-19 in the virus-hit Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province,” said an executive of a pharmaceutical company in Gansu.

As facts have shown, since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, TCM has been used in every step of COVID-19 treatment and control and played an important role in the prevention and control of the pandemic.

The country has dispatched TCM teams with 773 members in five batches to Wuhan, and nearly 5,000 TCM medics fought the battle against the virus in the front line in Hubei, according to reports, which suggest that nearly 100 TCM institutions across the country have joined the treatment of COVID-19 patients as designated hospitals.

In addition, reports have shown that TCM has been used on more than 90 percent of the confirmed COVID-19 cases in China, playing an important role in the major strategic achievements made in the country’s fight against the pandemic.
By Wang Bixue, People’s Daily

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China’s new chapter in global innovation

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By Gu Yekai, Liu Yiqing, People’s Daily

At a smart construction project site managed by China State Construction Engineering Corporation, a quiet technological revolution is underway. Amid cranes and concrete, engineers are deploying advanced artificial intelligence (AI) systems that could fundamentally reshape the construction industry.

Li Fengjian, an AI specialistwith Xianyuan Technology, detailed how the company’s latest intelligent system – built on a large model – adapts to complex construction environments.”Engineering machinery equipped with intelligent agents can adjust its operations automatically in response to weather conditions,” Li explained, adding that a spatiotemporal sensing network further enhances the system, providing real-time tracking of both personnel and materials throughout the construction site.

In February this year, Xianyuan Technology rapidly integrated its self-developed model with DeepSeek-R1, effectively blending a general-purpose framework with industry-specific models. This integration, Li noted, has produced a solution capable of delivering expert-level performance in challenging, dynamic environments. The firm is based in the Shanghai Foundation Model Innovation Center, aburgeoning AI incubator that now hosts over 200 innovative enterprises.

China’s technological transformation extends well beyond the construction sector. Overthe past three decades, the country has evolved from its initial forays into internet connectivity to becoming a key player in global digital innovation.

Here, a steady stream of technological innovations are emerging, from the early days of emails and web browsing to the cutting-edge technologies represented by DeepSeek and the dynamic evolution of social media.

Wu Jianping, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering and headof the Zhongguancun Laboratory, pointed out that while China had introduced only one internet standard before 2005, it now contributes to over 200 worldwide. Such strides illustrate the country’s concerted push toward high-level technological self-reliance – a journey marked by both persistence and determination.

Beyond the digital realm, China is makingsignificant inroads in aerospace, new energy, and other high-tech sectors. It has transitioned from being a follower to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with global leaders, and in some areas, even taking the lead. Wu attributed these achievements to a dynamic ecosystem of policy reforms and talent cultivation that encourages creativity and technical expertise at every level.

Amid intensifying international competition, collaborative research and the integration of new technologies with traditional industries are central to China’s high-quality economic development.

Mei Linhai, a researcher at China’s State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Intelligence, remarked that the age of AI calls for continuous exploration. “In this era, everyone is an innovator. Only by persistently pushing the boundaries can we remain at the forefront of both technological and industrial development,” Mei observed.

In the field of general-purpose AI, Mei emphasized that independent innovation is paramount. He advocates for a self-driven industrial ecosystem that leveragesbreakthrough technologies to boost productivity and unlock new possibilities, Mei said.

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Chinese democracy in action:a village bench meeting shapes national law

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By Wei Zhezhe, Liu Botong, People’s Daily

In a modest corner of Jiangmen, south China’s Guangdong province, residents of Weidong village are experiencing firsthand a form of democracy that starts at the grassroots level and reverberates all the way to Beijing.

Wu Tengxin, a local villager who relies on a scooter for daily mobility after contracting polio, recalls a time when the village’s public spaces were ill-equipped for people with disabilities. Now, thanks to a simple suggestion made during a meeting, his everyday life has changed.

In November 2022, a team from a local legislative outreach office – a branch of China’sNational People’s Congress (NPC) – visited Weidong village and set up a “bench-style meeting.” Residents, including the elderly and those with disabilities, gathered to voice their concerns about inadequate accessibility.

Amid the conversation, Wu offered a straightforward proposal: “I hope rural accessible facilities can be improved to make mobility easier for people with disabilities and the elderly.” His words were relayed verbatim to lawmakers.

The response was swift. On June 28, 2023, at the third session of the 14th NPC Standing Committee, legislators passed a law on building a barrier-free living environment. The law stipulates that improvements”shall align with social and economic development levels, coordinate urban and rural progress, and gradually narrow the gap in infrastructure between urban and rural areas.”

Today, Wu observes that the village’s main roads and public squares have been upgraded with accessibility features that make getting around considerably easier.

This episode illustrates what Chinese officials call “whole-process people’s democracy” – a system where citizen input is woven into every stage of policy development.

Jilie Ziri, head of Abuluoha village in Butuo county, southwest China’s Sichuan province, remarked that for young generations in China, democracy has become a lived experience. “Villagers are the masters of village affairs,” he said, emphasizing how active villager participation has injected new vitality into local governance.

Experts point to consultative democracy as a cornerstone of this process. Tao Kaiyuan, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy and vice president of the Supreme People’s Court, underscores the important role of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, whose members hail from every stratum of society and bring a wealth of expertise and connections.

Their regular forums, field research, and public consultations have created robust channels for citizens to contribute ideas and forge consensus.”This approach gathers collective wisdom and transforms public voices into policy,” Tao said.

Another crucial manifestation is the effectiveness of China’s political party system. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, Chinese democratic parties actively fulfill their duties, offering recommendations that often translate into concrete policy decisions. This integrated approach demonstrates the unique strengths of China’s political system and the advantages of whole-process people’s democracy.

Tao emphasized that whole-process people’s democracyhas evolved into an efficient and dynamic democratic practice – one that not only reflects the essence of socialist democracy but also presents a pioneering model of political civilization, contributing Chinese wisdom and solutions to global governance and democratic development.

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Chinese modernization: blueprint for global progress

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By He Yin, People’s Daily

At China’s recent annual “two sessions,” Chinese modernization once again captured global attention. International observers are closely following a range of new measures designed not only to accelerate Chinese domestic transformation but also to unlock fresh opportunities for global development.

They believe that Chinese modernization, built on a foundation of openness and cooperation, will continue to yield global benefits with each new milestone.

Today, China stands as a formidable force in the global economy – accounting for around 18 percent of the global economy and nearly 30 percent of world manufacturing output. Year after year, the nation has contributed about 30 percent to global economic growth. With import and export records with almost all countries and regions designated in the United Nations Statistics Division, the country is a major trading partner for more than 150 countries and regions. In 2024, its exports to over 160 countries and regions saw growth.

Often hailed as the “world’s largest developing country,”the “second-largest economy,””world’s factory,””global market,” and “innovation powerhouse,” China is increasingly viewed as a beacon of stability and progress.

In recent years, high-profile events such as the seventh China International Import Expo – where intended deals exceeded $80 billion – and the establishment of over 1.239 million foreign-invested enterprises have reinforced the nation’s reputation as a vast, dynamic market.

Meanwhile, policies encouraging Chinese companies to “go global” have seen a steady stream of new technologies, goods, and services permeate international markets, knitting the country ever tighter into global value chains and bolstering its commitment to win-win cooperation.

The influence of Chinese modernization is evident far beyond its borders. In the Central African Republic, President Faustin-Archange Touadera has repeatedly screened China’s political documentary Carry the Reform Through to the End for cabinet discussions, while officialsin Uzbekistan are adapting China’s poverty-reduction experience to suit their national context. These moves challenge the assumption that modernization must follow Western models, suggesting that China’s alternative pathway offers a viable route to development.

Beyond economic growth, Chinese modernization is increasingly celebrated for its potential to foster win-win cooperation and shared prosperity.

Under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), for example, Kazakhstan secured its first maritime access and Laos launched its first modern railway. Support from the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund has propelled over 160 projects, benefiting more than 30 million people. Moreover, China has given all the least developed countries with which it has diplomatic relations zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines, signaling its commitment to an open and inclusive global economy.

China’s modernization agenda also tackles global challenges head on. In response to global environmental risks, China advocates for building a community of all life on the Earth. To bridge the digital and AI divide, it has launched the AI Capacity-Building Action Plan for Good and for All to ensure that technological advancements benefit every corner of the globe.

On the security front, China continues to promote dialogue and reconciliation in conflict zones while engaging in multilateral security collaborations, reinforcing its reputation as a nation committed to peace and stability.

By proposing initiatives such as the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilizations Initiative, China is not just charting its own course toward modernization but championing an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization – one that seeks to ensure that no nation is left behind on the path to prosperity.

The global appeal of Chinese modernization is far from accidental. Decades of reform and opening up have accelerated its development while enabling the country to contribute to global governance. On the international stage, it has taken on a leadership role – actively shaping global norms, building a community with a shared future for mankind, and advancing world peace and development. By sharing its successful experiences and technological advancements, the country seeks to help other developing countries chart their own courses toward progress.

With over 1.4 billion people engaged in this modernization journey – a number that surpasses the total population of all developed countries combined – China’s approach is redefining the global modernization landscape. For China, modernization is not solely a national endeavor but a blueprint for global progress – a vision that promises a more inclusive future for all.

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