On May 29, the Launching Ceremony of the Theme Day of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Service Trade and the Traditional Chinese Medicine Conference of the Overseas Chinese was successfully held at the 4th China Beijing International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS). The Vice Minister of Commerce Fang Aiqing attended and addressed the launching ceremony.

Fang pointed out that at present, the trade in services of the traditional Chinese medicine show four modes which come into play together with rapid development, guiding the relevant fields to develop jointly. Firstly, the overseas consumption is strong and the scale of the overseas clinic clients expands continuously. In 2015, 288 domestic organizations which provide the traditional Chinese medicine service for foreigners received a total of 200,000 foreign patients and the number of hospitalized patients reached 25,000. The operating income was RMB1 billion. Secondly, this business enjoys a prosperous development and the pace of "going abroad" of the traditional Chinese medicine accelerates. According to the preliminary statistics, over 60 traditional Chinese medicine trade in services organizations open hospitals and clinics of the Chinese medicine, health care institutions and the Chinese medicine research centers in more than 20 countries and regions. The figure of the annual clinical reception for local residents reached 250,000. Thirdly, the cross-border supply gradually rises and the tele-medicine market of the Chinese medicine is expanding fast. In 2014, the first cross-border Chinese medicine service platform "Maritime Chinese Medicine"--the international medical treatment and the health service platform was settled in Germany. Many tele-medicine platforms are being built. Fourthly, the movement of natural persons begins to take shape. It is more convenient for the Chinese medicine employees to practice their profession overseas. According to the preliminary statistics, China sent 2,000 Chinese medicine clinicians every year, accounting for 60% of the total dispatched medical work force.

Fang said that developing the trade in services of the Chinese medicine is the intrinsic requirement of promoting the marketization and internationalization of the Chinese medicine service and an important carrier of spreading the Chinese culture and improving the "soft power" of China. Expanding the domestic and overseas markets, digging the two resources and accelerating the development of the trade in services of the Chinese medicine play a strong guiding role in improving the overall level of the Chinese medicine industry and in benefiting the whole world. At present, the development of the trade in services of the Chinese medicine meets the unprecedented historic opportunity. Firstly, the international recognition degree of Chinese medicine is gradually improving, creating favorable conditions for the development of the trade in services of the Chinese medicine. The spread and application of the Chinese medicine in 183 countries and regions of the world promotes the international status of the Chinese medicine to be improved gradually and the development environment to be perfected. Secondly, the development of the Chinese economy provides a strong support for the development of the trade in services of the Chinese medicine and the rise of the comprehensive national strength of China and the expansion of the scale of trade in services provides powerful assistance for the development of the trade in services of the Chinese medicine. Thirdly, the vast overseas Chinese build up a significant bridge for the development of the trade in services of the Chinese medicine and promote the Chinese medicine service and culture taking them as the bond, which will provide support for the development of the trade in services of the Chinese medicine.

Fang emphasized that the MOFCOM will carefully carry out and implement the instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang on the Chinese medicine, strengthen the coordination with the relevant departments such as the National Chinese Medicine Management Bureau, jointly promote the Chinese medicine service to "go abroad", push forward the formulation of the policies of the Chinese medicine trade in services, establish the international standards and certification system of the Chinese medicine trade in services, promote the innovation of systems and policies, accelerate the strategic layout of the domestic and overseas markets, strengthen the promotion of the culture of the Chinese medicine on the overall strategy to further promote the development of the trade in services of the Chinese medicine.

Almost 400 people attended the launching ceremony. Attending were Deputy Director of the State Overseas Chinese Affairs Office Guo Jun, Vice Mayor of Beijing Lin Keqing, Deputy Director of National Chinese Medicine Management Bureau Yu Wenming, the relevant representatives of the MOFCOM and the principals of the local business competent departments, relevant representatives of the State Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, the State Chinese Medicine Management Bureau, Beijing Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, the relevant representatives of Beijing Chinese Medicine Management Bureau, the representatives of the overseas Chinese, the representatives of the exhibitors of the Chinese medicine special topic, the representatives of the Chinese medicine organization in Beijing and some guests from the embassies in China, etc.