Launch of the "Sino-European Silk Road Health Industry Cooperation Forum" in Europe

   Chinese President Xi Jinping once said: "People's yearning for a good and beautiful life is the goal for us to strive for". According to Zhang Wenkang, Chairman of the Sino-European Silk Road Health Cooperation Forum, Honorary President of China Maternal and Child Health Association, Vice-President of China Welfare Institute and former Minister of health of China, a good and beautiful life does not only imply material satisfaction, but rather more importantly physical and mental health. He believes that one’s health is not only about personal survival and development, but also related to sustainable development of social economy and to the rise and fall of a country or a nation. “Health is not just a medical problem, but rather a comprehensive result of development, environment, education and many other problems as well. Extensive support of international exchange and cooperation are needed. This is our original intention for holding this forum”, he said.According to him, “the forum will strive to establish a flexible and efficient civil cooperation mechanism for Chinese and foreign officials, absorbing relevant research institutes, universities, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies, financial and insurance institutions and participate and implement the plan together, in order to facilitate the collection and coordination of resources, and build a win-win situation.”

   Dr. Ren Minghui, Assistant Director-General of WHO, delivered a speech

   Dr. Ren Minghui, Assistant Director-General of WHO, believes that for millions of people, herbs and traditional health care therapy is highly preferred. Traditional medicine is a very important, but often an underestimated resource of health service. Although the World Health Organization has issued policy guidance in this field, the fact is that there are still many uncertainties in many parts of the world and also in the aspect of traditional medicine entering the mainstream health care. Therefore extensive experiences of China in this field will surely help other countries.

    Prime Minister D’Alema, Honorary President of the Sino-European Silk Road Health Industry Cooperation Forum and former Prime Minister of Italy, delivered a speech at the forum

   Massimo D’Alema, Honorary President of the Sino-European Silk Road Health Industry Cooperation Forum and former Prime Minister of Italy, gave the “One Belt, One Road” initiative a very high degree of evaluation and added that “for Europe, the revived Silk Road can provide a solid basis for multiple synergies between Europe and China.”

“I believe that if we want a finally peaceful world, in which a collaborative multilateralism prevails in order to guarantee general security and prosperity, China and the European Union shall continue to represent two fundamental pillars of such construction. To this aim the dialogue between us shall carry on, without fears of hegemonies and without protectionist temptations”, he said. He further added that “the European Union has the most to benefit from this initiative, if it stands together, and deliberations are carried out on a collective, and not an individual, bilateral basis.” The forum was an extraordinary example to combine dialogue between cultures and economic cooperation, as well as to further discussions on traditional Chinese medicine and its outstanding millenarian history. Regarding Traditional Chinese Medicine, he respects the good effects of TCM and mentioned that he has experienced Chinese therapies in a few occasions himself with astonishing results. “Through the exchanges with the western tradition of a medicine and of pharmacology based on research and technological innovation, we can seek a synthesis aimed at defending the health and the physical welfare of our citizens”, he said.

   Wang Chaowen, President of the European Branch of Xinhua News Agency, said that the health industry is a very important field of cooperation for the Belt and Road and has a broad market demand and huge space for cooperation in countries along the Belt and Road. China and Europe have their own strength and advantages in the field of the health industry development. Thus, enhancing the bilateral Sino-European exchange and cooperation in the health industry is the best way to promote the pragmatic cooperation of the Belt and Road development and to benefit the glorious career of the people along the route.

   Prof. Zhao Buchang, founder of Buchang Pharmaceuticals, won the 2016 World Chinese List Medicine Prize and delivered a speech

   Professor Zhao Buchang, founder of Buchang Pharmaceuticals, who has won the 2016 World Chinese List Medicine Prize, shared his personal experience when he and his team made a visit to Indonesia. According to him, local aborigines showed great interest in TCM, which implies that besides overseas Chinese, TCM has been exerted from more and more people over the world and starts to receive global recognition. He furthermore admitted that due to the cultural background and the constraints of policies and regulations, TCM has not yet been able to enter the global mainstream medical system. He suggested that the remarkable effects of TCM and its ancient culture should be efficiently promoted to the world in order to make great contributions to public health. For this, the help of scientific and technologies means are urgently needed to reveal the true effects of TCM.

    Klaus J. Elsner, Chairman of the China-Europe Cooperation Forum of Germany, made his remarks at the forum

   Chinese ambassador to Germany has sent his congratulations and offered his support in promoting a pragmatic cooperation and exchange between China and Europe and encouraged participants to make further contributions to both sides. President of the China-Europe Cooperation Forum of Germany delivered a speech and said that China and Germany each has their own advantages and strengths in health, which should be applied for enhancing the cooperation exchange. Massimo D’Alema, former Prime Minister of Italy and Chairman of the Foundation for European Progressive Studies, expressed his great interest in TCM during a private meeting with Chairman Zhao Buchang and invited him for a visit to Italy to further in-depth exchanges.

   This forum was also one of the most important activities of the “Along The Belt and Road” motorcade tour that Xinhua News Agency China Economic Information Service has organized. Ten cars of the large-scale motorcade tour have departed on June 17, 2016 from Luoyang, China and finally arrived Frankfurt City after three months of travelling on September 28. They have made mutual intersections of common interests with the “Sino-European Silk Road Health Industry Cooperation Forum” with their individual strength and advantages, Xinhua News Agency China Economic Information Service provided full and comprehensive media report coverage through their car tour and the forum has congregated all the experts and representatives in health and made in-depth exchanges of their ideas and wisdom.

   Comprehensive exchange and exhibition display

   Various Chinese and foreign health experts from different fields attended the forum and made in-depth exchanges on health and discussed about broad prospects and future opportunities of health cooperations along the Silk Road, internationalization of TCM, combination and exchange of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western medicine. Health is the basic demand of human beings and the premise of social progress. President Xi Jinping proposed an initiative to build a Healthy Silk Road, and to contribute to a better health of the people along the Belt and Road. This initiative has received global support and will surely contribute to public health and benefit the people around the world.

    Former Prime Minster D’Alema pays a visit to the exhibition area of Shandong Buchang Pharmaceuticals

   The forum included a special exhibition area of “traditional treatment experience” with traditional therapist from China, Germany and the Netherlands, learning from each other’s individual experiences and unique skills, such as acupuncture, massage, cupping, eye examination and other traditional techniques of treatment. Dr. Kuipers from Holland showed his holistic treatment approach, new instruments, and natural medicines based on the concepts of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

    Various Chinese and foreign experts have gathered together to make in-depth exchanges and discussions about current situation and future prospects of the health industry, TCM and western medicine.

   The hometown of the Silk Road was introduced at the product exhibition area, along with an introduction of well-known Chinese brands, including Buchang Pharma, Wuliangye, Jing Brand, Wang Yongheng, Yili and various others, who have displayed their strength and desire of going global. Harvey Dzodin, Senior Advisor of the Silk Road Cities Alliance, said that England, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Denmark and many other countries have individual and unique health care and pension system, and will provide advanced international technologies and products for Chinese medical care institutions. At the same time, the Chinese culture, including theories and concepts of health preservation, Chinese biomedical technologies and latest achievements of Traditional Chinese Medicine etc. will also facilitate Europe with new models and experiences.

   Release of prosperous forum achievements - TCM Apprentice Ceremony

   This forum displayed various topics and achieved a lot of prosperous results. During the forum, the “Frankfurt consensus” was issued, aimed at strengthening and promoting the health industry cooperation along the Belt and Road. At the same time, an apprentice ceremony of foreign students from Germany, Holland and France held, along with their individual senior masters of TCM Zhao Buchang, Dong Hongguang, Liu Zhongyi and Gu Shaofeng. The launch of the “Silk Road TCM Emissary Initiative” was co-sponsored with various countries, such as China, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Israel, Thailand and other non-governmental organizations. The mission of this initiative is to encourage and help foreigners, who are interested in TCM, to learn TCM, become TCM practitioners and act as emissaries to promote TCM culture. The Silk Road Cities Alliance, initiator of the forum, signed a number of cooperation agreement, including with Shanghai Boya Finance, Thailand Bhumitai Pattana Foundation, Kuipers Health Center of Holland, Italy Fitochina, Sino-European Development Foundation of Austria and will further various Silk Road health cooperation projects.

    Launch of the “Silk Road TCM Emissary Initiative” and the apprentice ceremony at the forum

   There was a great and convenient ambiance at the apprentice ceremony. Christine Masseli from Germany and Arvin Kuipers from Holland are both currently studying at the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and hope to provide better treatment for patients through the combination of traditional natural therapies from Europe and Traditional Chinese Medicine methods. Emilie Masson from France, a very capable osteopath, hopes to stay in China for the future to further in-depth research of European and Chinese bone setting therapy. Cecile Chabot, who is also from France, has a different educational background compared to the other aforementioned three students as she received a diploma in Mechanical Engineering, but headed from the West to the East to devote herself to medicine and ended up practicing traditional Chinese massage and Qigong along with other TCM practitioners.

   Besides the various results, the forum has issued the “China-EU Health Service Cooperation”. Through research and case analysis, there will be huge potential for the health services between China and Europe. The motive of this cooperation is mainly the market attraction, competition among enterprises and impetus from government.

The “China-EU Health Service Cooperation” report pointed out that the Sino-European investment cooperation of health services would be carried out according to the strategy of the alliance, to facilitate Chinese and European enterprises entering each other's markets, and to jointly develop the market of countries along the Belt and Road.

    Silk Road Cities Alliance signs cooperation agreements with Shanghai Boya Finance, Bhumithai Pattana Foundation of Thailand and various other organizations.

   “Along the Belt and Road” witness the Sino-European health cooperation in Frankfurt

   “Along the Belt and Road” is a large-scale motorcade tour with comprehensive media reports along the way, organized by the Xinhua News Agency with the topic of the “One Belt, One Road” as its theme for three consecutive years. It is reported that the motorcade tour consisted of ten SAIC Volkswagen cars and travelled more than 20 thousand kilometres and more than three months, aimed at displaying the openness for cooperation of China, enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the people of the countries along the route. After domestic reports, the team of the car tour departed on August 18, 2016 to the forum in Frankfurt, travelling through Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Austria, Czech, etc. After the “Sino-European Silk Road Health Industry Cooperation Forum”, they headed to their final destination in Holland. 

Written by Crystal Zhu (Silk Road Cities Alliance)