Hengqin New Area and Jinan City in the Shandong Pilot Free Trade Zone will use complementary advantages in culture, science, technology, R&D, talents, and policies to widely promote traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

A framework agreement was signed between the free trade zones July 13. Together they will market TCM hospital preparations, open channels for TCM to go global, cooperate on the industry-university-research level, cultivate talents, and draw in key projects.

Signing ceremony [Photo by Yuan Tianxiao / WeChat account: hengqinxinqu]

From Jinan: Shandong University of TCM and the Shandong Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences will cooperate innovatively with Hengqin concerning new drug R&D, talent training, and clinical applications. Hongjitang Pharmaceutical Group's TCM good manufacturing practices (GMP) plant will settle in Hengqin, as will Shuyu Civilian Pharmacy's TCM decoction pieces deep-processing and Bloomage Biotechnology's preparation transformation and innovation projects.

Furthermore, Hengqin and Jinan are to pioneer major innovative reform measures, transform TCM, and promote globally. They will allocate resources for high-quality development of the TCM industry.

The Shandong FTZ includes Jinan and the coastal cities of Qingdao and Yantai. Jinan is the provincial capital and within the city Changqing is hometown of TCM originator Bian Que (Qin Yueren, 407-310 BC), a medical scientist in the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) and founder of pulse diagnosis.

TCM is a specialty in Hengqin and focus of Guangdong-Macao cooperation. The FTZ houses, for instance, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao TCM Policy & Technology Research Center and Guangdong-Macao Medical Institution TCM Preparation Center that works to standardize, modernize, and internationalize the industry.

Meanwhile the TCM Drug Innovative R&D & Transformation Platform is being built with support from renowned Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao universities, hospitals, and enterprises.