Guo Fa [ 2009 ] No. 22
To the People's Governments of all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government; to the ministries and commissions of the State Council; and to their subordinate agencies:
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and ethnic medicine are medical sciences developed by all ethnic groups in China over thousands of years through daily life, production practices, and efforts to combat diseases. They have made significant contributions to the prosperity of the Chinese nation and positively influenced global civilization progress. Since the founding of New China, especially after the launch of reform and opening-up, the Party Central Committee and the State Council have placed high importance on TCM work, achieving remarkable results. However, it is clear that the development of TCM still faces many challenges and cannot fully meet the growing health needs of the people. The "Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Deepening the Reform of the Medical and Health System" (Zhong Fa [Year 2009] No. 6) proposed adhering to the principle of equal emphasis on both Chinese and Western medicine and fully leveraging the role of TCM. To further support and promote the development of TCM and implement tasks related to medical and health system reform, the following opinions are hereby put forward:
I. Recognize the Importance and Urgency of Supporting and Promoting the Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine
For a long time, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine have complemented each other and developed in coordination, jointly shouldering the responsibility of safeguarding and promoting public health. This is an important characteristic and distinct advantage of China's medical and health care system. TCM offers proven clinical efficacy, unique preventive and health-promoting benefits, flexible treatment approaches, and relatively low costs. Moreover, as health concepts evolve and medical models shift, TCM continues to demonstrate its distinctive advantages. As a precious treasure of the Chinese nation, TCM embodies rich philosophical insights and humanistic values, serving as a significant expression of China's cultural soft power. Supporting and advancing the development of TCM is of great significance for deepening reforms in the medical and health care system, improving public health levels, promoting Chinese culture, and fostering economic growth and social harmony.
As economic globalization, technological advancement, and rapid progress in modern medicine reshape the landscape for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in China, the sector faces new challenges and emerging issues. The distinctive strengths of TCM are gradually fading, with its service scope shrinking. Many senior TCM experts' academic insights and clinical experiences are not being passed down; some unique diagnostic and therapeutic techniques risk extinction; and innovation in TCM theory and methods remains insufficient. Furthermore, development of acupuncture and herbal medicine is unbalanced, wild medicinal plant resources are severely degraded, foundational conditions for TCM development are weak, and there is a critical shortage of qualified personnel. All regions and relevant departments must fully recognize the importance of supporting and promoting TCM.
Given the importance and urgency of advancing our cause, we will take effective measures to comprehensively strengthen traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) work and create a new situation for its sustained and healthy development.
II. Guiding Principles and Basic Policies for the Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine
(I) Guiding Principles. Adhere to the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of the "Three Represents," comprehensively implement the Scientific Outlook on Development, and take meeting the public's demand for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) services as the starting point of TCM work. Follow the laws governing TCM development, preserve and promote its unique characteristics and advantages, advance both inheritance and innovation, enrich and develop TCM theory and practice, foster coordinated development of TCM and Chinese herbal medicines, and serve to improve the overall health level of the population.
(II) Basic Principles. Uphold equal importance for both traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine, placing them on the same footing. Adhere to a dialectical unity of inheritance and innovation: preserve TCM's unique strengths while actively leveraging modern technology. Promote mutual learning and complementary advantages between TCM and Western medicine to advance their integration. Apply comprehensive planning to drive all-around development across TCM healthcare, wellness, research, education, industry, and culture. Leverage government support and mobilize diverse stakeholders to jointly foster the growth of TCM.
3. Develop TCM Medical and Preventive Health Services
(I) Strengthen the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Medical Service System. Local people's governments at or above the county level shall reasonably plan and allocate TCM medical institutions—including integrated TCM-Western medicine and ethnic medicine institutions—within regional health planning. Vigorously strengthen the construction of TCM departments in general hospitals, township health centers, and community health service centers, and actively promote TCM services at community health service stations and village clinics. Actively disseminate and apply suitable TCM technologies across other medical and health institutions. Through joint efforts by central and local governments, significantly enhance the renovation and construction of public TCM hospitals. Where conditions permit, all county-level general hospitals, township health centers, and community health service centers must establish TCM departments and pharmacy sections, staffed with qualified TCM professionals, equipped with essential TCM diagnostic and treatment devices, and stocked with necessary Chinese medicines. The goal is to ensure that every community health service station and village clinic can provide TCM services. Strengthen the service capacity of TCM medical institutions by developing technical standards and norms for TCM diagnosis and treatment protocols, admission and discharge criteria, medication guidelines, clinical pathways, and healthcare quality evaluation metrics. These measures will promote appropriate treatment based on individual conditions, standardized diagnosis and treatment, rational medication use, and improved healthcare quality. Cultivate a group of renowned hospitals, specialized departments, and distinguished physicians. Advance the integration of TCM into rural areas, communities, and households.
Actively promote the development of non-public TCM medical institutions to create a diversified investment landscape with multiple stakeholders and varied investment models. Encourage qualified TCM professionals, especially renowned senior practitioners, to establish TCM clinics or practice independently. Allow eligible pharmaceutical retail enterprises to operate in-clinic TCM practices. Non-public TCM medical institutions shall receive equal treatment as public counterparts regarding insurance designation, research project approval, professional title evaluation, and continuing education. They shall be treated equally in service access and regulatory oversight.
(II) Actively develop TCM preventive and health care services. Fully leverage the distinctive advantages of TCM in prevention and health care, and integrate Chinese medicine...
Integrate services into public health programs, actively applying traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) methods and technologies in disease prevention and control. Promote TCM hospitals and primary healthcare institutions to offer TCM preventive health services. Encourage private sector investment in establishing TCM preventive health service agencies. Define entry requirements for TCM preventive health service agencies and personnel, along with service standards, and strengthen guidance and management.
IV. Promote Inheritance and Innovation in Traditional Chinese Medicine
(I) Strengthen the inheritance of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Conduct a census and registration of TCM ancient texts, establish a comprehensive information database and a list of precious ancient texts, and enhance their organization, publication, research, and utilization. Systematically organize historical medical case records to study academic thought, technical methods, and clinical experiences, identifying key patterns of major academic innovations in TCM. Establish academic research offices for contemporary renowned TCM experts within existing institutions to systematically study their academic thought, clinical experience, and specialized skills. Organize and research traditional Chinese medicine manufacturing techniques and empirical knowledge to develop standardized technical specifications. Explore, document, and leverage folk medical knowledge and practices.
(II) Accelerate scientific and technological progress and innovation in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Establish a TCM-specific system for technology innovation, evaluation, and management. Reform and innovate project organization and management models, and integrate TCM scientific resources. Advance the construction of TCM research bases, particularly national and provincial clinical research centers for TCM. Support TCM technological innovation by conducting systematic research on foundational theories, diagnostic and treatment techniques, and efficacy evaluation. Promote the development of new Chinese medicines and TCM diagnostic and therapeutic instruments and equipment. Strengthen collaborative efforts to tackle major diseases and conduct research on the prevention and treatment of common diseases, frequent illnesses, and chronic conditions using TCM. Implement a peer-review system for TCM research project approvals and scientific achievement evaluations.
5. Strengthen the development of the traditional Chinese medicine talent workforce
(1) Reform TCM education in medical schools. Plan and develop TCM school education in line with socio-economic development and the needs of the TCM sector. Adjust the structure and scale of higher TCM education, prioritize TCM majors, and follow the natural progression of TCM talent development to strengthen foundational theory instruction and basic clinical skills training. Launch pilot programs at select higher TCM institutions for undergraduate admission and training reform in clinical TCM disciplines. Strengthen vocational TCM education and accelerate the cultivation of skilled practitioners. The state will support the construction of key TCM disciplines, majors, and courses, with a focus on developing a network of clinical teaching bases for traditional Chinese medicine.
(II) Improve the apprenticeship and continuing education systems for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Summarize experiences in TCM apprenticeship education, establish standards and related policies, explore diverse models of apprenticeship education across different levels and types, and expand pathways for cultivating TCM talent. Align the training of academic successors to renowned TCM experts with professional degree programs. Address issues regarding title evaluation and job appointments for practitioners who have obtained licensure through apprenticeship. Strengthen the TCM continuing education system and enhance its network infrastructure.
(3) Accelerate the training of grassroots TCM personnel and technical backbone staff. Develop a practical implementation plan and actively
Explore measures to cultivate TCM talent for rural areas. Encourage grassroots TCM practitioners to pursue degree education and apprenticeship training programs where they qualify. Explore methods and models for multi-site practice by licensed TCM physicians. Incorporate rural individuals with specialized TCM skills into the village doctor management system. Develop and implement a plan to train discipline leaders and technical backbone personnel, fostering a new generation of TCM leaders and a large cohort of renowned middle-aged and young TCM physicians. Encourage Western medicine doctors to learn TCM and cultivate a group of integrated medicine professionals. Deliver training on basic TCM knowledge and appropriate techniques for grassroots physicians.
(4) Improve the assessment and evaluation system for TCM talent. Develop competency standards for TCM professionals that reflect the unique characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine, and refine the methods and criteria for TCM examinations within national health professional qualification tests. Establish a national certification system for TCM practitioners and implement skill assessments specific to occupations in the TCM industry. Create an incentive mechanism for TCM talent that combines government recognition with social honors.
6. Enhance the Development of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry
(1) Promote the sustainable development of Chinese medicinal resources. Strengthen protection, research and development, and rational utilization of these resources. Conduct a nationwide survey of Chinese medicinal resources, enhance resource monitoring, and build an information network. Protect wild medicinal plants and animals by accelerating the construction of germplasm resource banks, establishing protected areas in regions with concentrated distributions, creating breeding bases, and strengthening efforts to protect, breed, and research substitutes for rare and endangered species to facilitate resource recovery and growth. Align with agricultural structural adjustments to develop high-quality seedling breeding systems and standardized, large-scale production bases for Chinese herbal medicines, while providing technical training and demonstration programs. Regulate and supervise the export of raw Chinese medicinal materials in accordance with laws and regulations.
(2) Build a modern Chinese medicine industry and commerce system. Strengthen overall planning for the development of the Chinese medicine industry and formulate preferential policies to support its growth. Implement high-tech industrialization projects for modern Chinese medicine with increased support. Encourage leading Chinese medicine enterprises to integrate resources, establish modern manufacturing and logistics bases, and develop well-known production and distribution companies. Enhance support and protection for famous trademarks in the Chinese medicine sector. Optimize the export structure of Chinese medicine products, increase their value-added content, and help enterprises expand into international markets.
(3) Strengthen Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) management. Improve TCM registration processes to fully reflect TCM characteristics and enhance the quality and clinical efficacy of new TCM drugs. Implement Good Agricultural and Collection Practices for TCM, and strengthen oversight of TCM decoction piece manufacturing quality as well as the circulation of both raw and processed TCM materials. Enhance regulation of TCM decoction pieces and proprietary preparations used in medical institutions, and encourage and support these institutions in developing and applying distinctive TCM formulations.
VII. Accelerate the Development of Ethnic Medicine
Strengthen the service capacity of ethnic medicine medical institutions, improve medical conditions, and meet the demand for ethnic medicine services. Enhance ethnic medicine education, prioritize workforce development, and raise the quality of ethnic medicine practitioners. Improve the access system for ethnic medicine professionals. Strengthen the inheritance and research of ethnic medicine by supporting the collation, annotation, and publication of key ethnic medicine texts, conducting research on characteristic diagnostic and treatment techniques and single prescriptions, and screening and promoting a batch of suitable ethnic medicine technologies.
. Establish a base for ethnic medicine R&D to promote the development of the ethnic pharmaceutical industry.
VIII. Promote the Prosperity and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine Culture
Integrate traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) culture construction into the national cultural development plan. Strengthen protection of TCM cultural relics and historical sites, and advance the preservation and inheritance of TCM intangible cultural heritage. Increase support for projects listed in the national intangible cultural heritage名录, creating favorable conditions for representative inheritors of national-level TCM intangible cultural heritage projects to transmit their skills. Promote culture building within TCM institutions and uphold traditional professional ethics in the industry. Expand scientific and cultural education on TCM, and strengthen the development of publicity and education bases. Enhance the utilization and development of TCM cultural resources to build prominent TCM cultural brands. Guide public opinion effectively to foster a societal atmosphere that respects, protects, and supports the development of traditional TCM knowledge and the broader TCM sector.
9. Promote the Globalization of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Actively participate in traditional medicine activities organized by relevant international organizations. Further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with foreign governments on Chinese medicine. Support qualified Chinese medicine enterprises, medical institutions, research institutes, and higher education institutions in carrying out international exchanges and cooperation. Improve relevant policies and actively expand trade in Chinese medicine services. Incorporate Chinese medicine projects into China's foreign aid and government cooperation initiatives. Strengthen the promotion of Chinese medicine knowledge and culture abroad to enhance international dissemination.
10. Strengthen Support Measures for the Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine
(I) Strengthen organizational leadership for TCM work. Develop and implement a national medium- to long-term TCM development plan aligned with the overarching economic and social development blueprint, as well as the requirements of the healthcare sector and pharmaceutical industry advancement. Fully leverage the inter-agency coordination mechanism for TCM work to enhance overall planning and coordination. Local governments at all levels must strengthen their leadership over TCM initiatives, promptly address challenges in TCM development, and ensure strict implementation of all relevant policies and measures.
(II) Increase investment in the development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). All levels of government should progressively increase funding to prioritize TCM-specific services, infrastructure construction for public TCM hospitals, development of key disciplines and specialized departments, and TCM talent cultivation. Implement policies that direct government investment toward public TCM hospitals and establish specific subsidy measures to enhance their distinctive TCM advantages. Refine fiscal subsidy policies to encourage primary healthcare institutions to provide appropriate TCM technologies and services. Enact preferential policies to motivate enterprises, social organizations, and individuals to donate support for TCM development. Reasonably determine TCM medical service fee items and pricing to fully reflect service costs and the value of technical expertise.
(3) Health insurance and essential medicines policies should encourage the provision and use of TCM services. Include qualified TCM medical institutions as designated providers under urban employee basic medical insurance, urban resident basic medical insurance, and new rural cooperative medical care. Include eligible TCM diagnostic and treatment items, Chinese medicine varieties, and institutional preparations of Chinese medicine in...
Included in the reimbursement scope. In line with the principle of equal emphasis on Chinese and Western medicines, appropriately determine which Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) products are included in the National Essential Medicines List. Ensure supply and guarantee, price setting, clinical application, and reimbursement rates for essential medicines fully account for TCM characteristics, encouraging the use of TCM.
(4) Strengthen TCM legal framework and intellectual property protection. Accelerate TCM legislation, improve relevant laws and regulations. Enhance protection and utilization of TCM intellectual property by refining patent examination standards for traditional Chinese medicines and the system for protecting Chinese medicine varieties. Develop a registry of protected TCM traditional knowledge and gradually establish a dedicated protection mechanism for it. Strengthen protection of geographically indicated medicinal materials in their authentic regions, transforming regional advantages into intellectual property assets.
(5) Strengthen management of the TCM industry. Implement unified planning for the TCM sector and manage it in accordance with its unique characteristics and principles. Advance digitalization by establishing a comprehensive statistical reporting system. Drive standardization by building a robust standards framework and facilitating the conversion of Chinese TCM standards into international standards. Enforce strict regulatory oversight to crack down on illegal medical practice under false TCM pretenses, disseminating fraudulent TCM advertising, and producing or selling counterfeit or substandard TCM products. Enhance local TCM administrative bodies by strengthening their mandates and elevating overall management capabilities.
State Council
April 21, 2009