[Major Announcement] The General Office of the State Council Has Issued the “Several Policy Measures for Accelerating the Distinctive Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine”

BEIJING, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) — The General Office of the State Council recently issued the “Several Policy Measures for Accelerating the Distinctive Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine” (hereinafter referred to as the “Policy Measures”).

The Policy Measures state that we must be guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, fully implement the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Plenary Sessions of the 19th CPC Central Committee, further carry out the Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Promoting the Inheritance, Innovation, and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the arrangements made at the National Conference on TCM, adhere to the laws governing the development of TCM, earnestly summarize the experiences and practices of TCM in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, address existing problems, better leverage the distinctive features and comparative advantages of TCM, and promote the complementary and coordinated development of TCM and Western medicine.

The Policy Measures emphasize the need to consolidate the talent base for TCM, elevate the overall standard of TCM education, steadfastly advance mentorship-based TCM education, and strengthen the evaluation and incentive mechanisms for TCM professionals. It calls for invigorating the development of the Chinese medicinal materials industry by optimizing the review and approval processes for such products and improving the categorized registration management system. To enhance the momentum of TCM development, it advocates ensuring adequate government funding, mobilizing diverse sources of social investment, and strengthening support through diversified financing channels. Furthermore, it seeks to refine the system of integrated TCM–Western medicine practice, innovate integrated care models, establish a robust mechanism for collaborative prevention and control of infectious diseases involving both systems, improve the system for Western physicians to learn TCM, and raise the level of clinical research on integrated TCM–Western medicine approaches. The Measures also call for implementing major projects to promote TCM development, including initiatives to cultivate specialized TCM talent, strengthen the TCM healthcare service delivery system, bolster TCM research platforms, and launch programs such as the “Famous Doctors’ Clinics” initiative, joint research efforts among industry, academia, research institutions, and government on TCM-related issues, and the project to upgrade authentic local TCM materials. In addition, it proposes establishing national demonstration zones for comprehensive TCM reform and launching an initiative to promote the open and international development of TCM. To enhance the effectiveness of TCM development, the Measures recommend refining TCM service pricing policies, improving TCM medical insurance management measures, and appropriately providing non-basic TCM services. Finally, they underscore the importance of fostering a favorable environment for TCM development by strengthening intellectual property protection for TCM, optimizing TCM science and technology management, intensifying TCM cultural dissemination, raising the level of rule-of-law governance in the TCM sector, and reinforcing organizational leadership over TCM-related work.

Source: China Government Website

Notice of the General Office of the State Council on Issuing Several Policy Measures for Accelerating the Distinctive Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine

General Office of the State Council Document No. 3 [2021]

To the People’s Governments of all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government, and to all ministries, commissions, and agencies directly under the State Council:

The “Several Policy Measures for Accelerating the Distinctive Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine” have been approved by the State Council and are hereby circulated to you. Please conscientiously implement them.

General Office of the State Council

January 22, 2021

(This document is publicly released.)

Several Policy Measures for Accelerating the Distinctive Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has given high priority to TCM work, resulting in remarkable achievements in the reform and development of TCM. Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, TCM was fully engaged in epidemic prevention and control as well as patient treatment, making significant contributions. Nevertheless, it must be acknowledged that TCM still faces certain challenges, including insufficient high-quality supply, an inadequate pool of talent, an imperfect innovation system, and a lack of distinctive features in its development. It is essential to remain guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, comprehensively implement the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the CPC and the Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Plenary Sessions of the 19th CPC Central Committee, further carry out the “Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Promoting the Inheritance, Innovation, and Development of TCM” and the arrangements made at the National Conference on TCM, adhere to the inherent laws governing the development of TCM, carefully summarize the experiences and practices of TCM in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, address existing problems, better leverage the unique characteristics and comparative advantages of TCM, and promote the complementary and coordinated development of TCM and Western medicine. To this end, the following policies and measures are hereby proposed.

I. Strengthening the Talent Base in Traditional Chinese Medicine

(1) Enhance the overall quality of TCM education. Establish a curriculum system for TCM-related majors that takes TCM courses as the main thread and follows a sequence of TCM first, then Western medicine, and add courses on TCM epidemic diseases. Support TCM institutions in strengthening the selection and cultivation of outstanding students who have a solid foundation in traditional TCM culture and a deep passion for TCM. Enhance the training of TCM thinking and TCM clinical skills, making them key components of student academic evaluation. Strengthen support for TCM institutions and disciplines under the “Double First-Class” initiative. Plan and establish approximately 100 first-class undergraduate program construction sites in TCM. Promote the development of high-level specialty clusters in TCM at higher vocational colleges. Reinforce the TCM clinical teaching functions of university-affiliated hospitals. (The Ministry of Education, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine are responsible; the entity listed first is the lead agency, the same applies hereinafter.)

(2) Uphold the development of mentor-apprentice education in traditional Chinese medicine. Expand multi-level mentorship programs, broaden the scope and increase the number of apprenticeship placements, and integrate mentorship throughout the entire clinical practice teaching process. Continuously advance initiatives such as the inheritance of academic expertise from renowned and experienced TCM experts, advanced training for outstanding TCM clinical professionals, and the establishment of inheritance studios. Appropriately tilt performance-based salary allocations in favor of TCM physicians who undertake apprenticeship mentoring duties. In the national program for inheriting the academic experience of senior TCM experts, provide procedural support to eligible successors to substitute classical medical texts for foreign languages as an equivalent qualification when applying to take the TCM professional degree examination. (Responsible: National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, Ministry of Education, National Health Commission, and people’s governments of all provincial-level administrative regions.)

(3) Strengthen the evaluation and incentive mechanisms for TCM talent. Encourage local authorities to establish, in light of their specific circumstances, evaluation and incentive mechanisms for outstanding TCM talent. Make clinical competence and professional ethics the primary criteria for assessing TCM professionals, with the ability to diagnose and effectively treat patients as the main focus of evaluation for TCM physicians. In the selection of academicians and other high-level talent under national major talent programs, explore the establishment of separate nomination and evaluation tracks specifically for TCM talent. (The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the National Health Commission, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the people’s governments of all provinces shall each assume responsibility for implementing these measures.)

II. Enhancing the Vitality of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry

(4) Optimize the review and approval management of traditional Chinese medicines. Accelerate the reform of the review and approval mechanism for traditional Chinese medicines, strengthen capacity-building in technical support, enhance the level of technical guidance for TCM registration applications and the quality of registration services, reinforce horizontal coordination among relevant departments, and establish an effective mechanism for recommending qualified new TCM drugs from science and technology, healthcare, and TCM authorities to enter the expedited review and approval pathway. Guided by clinical needs in TCM, expedite the translation of outcomes from major national science and technology projects. Coordinate internal and external technical evaluation resources, explore the granting of professional accreditation to third-party TCM research platforms to enable them to undertake national-level TCM technical evaluations. Increase the number of third-party testing institutions authorized to conduct registration inspections for new TCM drugs. (The National Medical Products Administration, the National Health Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine are responsible.)

(5) Improve the categorized registration and management of traditional Chinese medicines. Respect the inherent principles governing the research and development of traditional Chinese medicines, and refine the classification system for TCM registration and the associated application requirements. Streamline the review and approval process for new TCM drugs with established human use experience, and, for eligible innovative TCMs, improved TCM formulations, time-honored classic prescriptions, and generic equivalents of such formulas, explore the establishment of regulatory mechanisms that, in accordance with laws and regulations, grant exemptions from non-clinical safety studies and certain clinical trials. Fully leverage modern technological tools, such as data science, to develop an evidence-based registration and review system for TCM that integrates TCM theory, human use experience, and clinical trial data, and actively explore the establishment of a real-world evidence framework for TCM. Optimize the registration and approval procedures for compound TCM preparations derived from ancient classic prescriptions. Further refine the system of technical guidance principles for quality control throughout the entire lifecycle of new TCM drugs. (The National Medical Products Administration, the National Health Commission, and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine are responsible.)

III. Enhancing the Momentum for the Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine

(6) Ensure the implementation of government funding. Governments at all levels, as the entities responsible for running public TCM hospitals, shall implement government investment policies covering basic infrastructure construction, procurement of medical equipment, development of key disciplines, and talent cultivation for such hospitals. They shall also support the advancement of eligible public TCM hospital construction projects through channels such as special local government bonds. (The National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, the National Health Commission, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the people’s governments of all provinces are responsible for this.)

(7) Increase social investment from multiple sources. Localities that are well-positioned, financially robust, and committed are encouraged to take the lead by flexibly applying local policies on planning, land use, pricing, insurance, and financing support, while also encouraging and guiding social investment to enhance the clinical competitiveness of TCM and to develop high-ground hubs for TCM health services as well as clusters of TCM-related disciplines and industries. Eligible TCM clinics shall be incorporated into the construction of medical consortia. TCM clinics with the necessary conditions are encouraged to form teams to provide family-doctor contract services and to charge contract-service fees in accordance with relevant regulations. Furthermore, subdistrict and community authorities are encouraged to provide TCM clinics offering family-doctor services with free access to clinical treatment spaces. (Responsible: National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Health Commission, and people’s governments of all provincial-level administrative regions.)

(8) Strengthen support for financing channels. Actively support eligible TCM enterprises in raising capital through IPOs and in issuing corporate credit bonds. Encourage social capital to initiate the establishment of TCM industry investment funds and increase long-term investment in the TCM sector. Urge governments at all levels to provide lawful and compliant support to financing guarantee institutions, enabling them to expand their guarantee coverage for bank loans to small and medium-sized enterprises in the TCM field. Support credit service agencies in enhancing their capabilities for collecting and processing credit information in the TCM industry, and encourage financial institutions to innovate financial products to bolster the distinctive development of TCM. (The National Development and Reform Commission, the People’s Bank of China, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, and the people’s governments of all provinces are responsible.)

IV. Improving the System of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine

(9) Innovate the integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine healthcare model. Gradually promote a integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine healthcare model characterized by institutional mechanisms, dedicated teams, targeted measures, and demonstrable outcomes across general hospitals, infectious disease hospitals, specialized hospitals, and other institutions. Strengthen the staffing of TCM physicians in clinical departments, build integrated TCM–Western medicine teams, and implement joint TCM–Western medicine diagnosis and treatment, adhering to the principle of “use TCM when appropriate and Western medicine when appropriate,” thereby progressively establishing a multidisciplinary TCM–Western medicine diagnostic and treatment system. Encourage inter-departmental, inter-hospital, and intra-medical consortium collaborations in TCM–Western medicine integration. Incorporate the effectiveness of TCM–Western medicine integration into hospital accreditation assessments and performance evaluations. Provide rotational training on TCM-related professional knowledge for clinical physicians in hospitals, ensuring they acquire routine TCM diagnostic and therapeutic competencies within their respective specialties. (Responsible: National Health Commission and National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine.)

(10) Improve the mechanism for collaborative prevention and control of epidemics between traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine. Personnel from the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) system have, at the earliest possible moment, fully engaged in public health emergency response, with TCM prevention and treatment measures comprehensively integrated into emergency plans and technical protocols. A national talent pool of core personnel for TCM-based responses to major public health emergencies and epidemic control has been established, along with the development of a national TCM team for epidemic prevention and control and emergency medical rescue, with strengthened training in the theoretical and technical approaches to the prevention and control of major infectious diseases as well as in relevant modern medical technologies. Efforts are also underway to explore the establishment of TCM departments and expert teams within disease prevention and control institutions. (The National Health Commission and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine are responsible.)

(11) Improve the system for Western medicine practitioners to study Traditional Chinese Medicine. Starting with the class of 2021, courses in traditional Chinese medicine will be designated as compulsory components of the undergraduate clinical medicine curriculum and integrated into the graduation internship program, with an increase in the number of course hours. In higher vocational programs in clinical medicine, a compulsory course on the fundamentals of TCM and appropriate TCM techniques will be offered. Students in clinical medicine programs who are pursuing a degree in TCM will be permitted to take the integrated Chinese–Western medicine physician qualification examination and to participate in standardized training for TCM physicians. Pilot initiatives will be launched to implement a nine-year integrated Chinese–Western medicine education program. Efforts will be strengthened to develop TCM departments at standardized residency training bases for clinical medicine programs, with a gradual expansion of TCM knowledge and skills training. Physicians in the clinical, dental, and public health specialties will be required to undertake necessary continuing education in TCM. A major special project will be studied and implemented to promote Western medical practitioners’ learning of TCM, with the aim of cultivating, over a period of 10 to 15 years, a substantial number of high-level professionals in integrated Chinese–Western medicine and general practitioners capable of delivering integrated TCM–Western medicine services. (The Ministry of Education, the National Health Commission, and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine are each responsible for implementing these measures.)

(12) Enhance the level of clinical research on the integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine. Promote the development of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine disciplines (specialties). Conduct joint research initiatives on major intractable diseases, infectious diseases, chronic diseases, and other conditions, leveraging the strengths of both traditional Chinese and Western medicine. Gradually establish clinical efficacy evaluation standards for integrated TCM–Western medicine practices and identify and compile a catalog of priority disease categories. Launch pilot and demonstration projects, with the goal of developing approximately 100 integrated TCM–Western medicine diagnostic and treatment protocols within five years. (Responsible: Ministry of Science and Technology, National Health Commission, and National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine.)

V. Implementing Major Projects for the Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine

(13) Implement a program for cultivating talent with distinctive TCM characteristics. Relying on existing resources and funding channels, over a period of 5 to 10 years, we will select and recognize approximately 300 National Masters of Traditional Chinese Medicine and nationally renowned TCM physicians; cultivate about 500 Qihuang Scholars, roughly 3,000 outstanding TCM professionals, and around 100,000 core TCM personnel; strengthen the responsibilities of local governments and institutions for talent development; and establish a mechanism for sharing the costs of talent-development programs among the central government, local authorities, and institutions. We will also launch initiatives to develop outstanding TCM faculty, with a particular focus on enhancing training in basic TCM theory, classical texts, and clinical practice. Furthermore, we will reinforce the development of talent-training platforms, including university-affiliated hospitals and standardized TCM training bases. Support will be provided for the establishment of a number of high-level disciplines in areas such as basic TCM research, classical texts, epidemic prevention and control, and the processing and identification of Chinese medicinal materials. Finally, we will conduct knowledge and skills training in TCM at the primary-care level. (The National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Ministry of Education, the National Health Commission, and the people’s governments of all provinces are responsible.)

(14) Strengthen the development of the TCM medical service system. Provincial governments and relevant commissions (bureaus) shall jointly establish a number of national medical centers and regional medical centers specializing in traditional Chinese medicine, including integrated traditional Chinese–Western medicine. Efforts shall be accelerated to build centers for the inheritance and innovation of TCM that boast strong clinical capabilities, a rich TCM cultural atmosphere, and optimized functional layouts. The expansion and balanced distribution of high-quality TCM resources at the provincial and municipal levels shall be promoted, with the development of TCM hospitals and departments that feature distinctive strengths in specific disease categories. Leveraging high-level TCM hospitals, national bases for the prevention and control of TCM-related epidemics shall be established, along with a number of emergency medical rescue bases; concurrently, the capacity of TCM hospital departments of infectious diseases, pulmonary diseases, fever clinics, convertible infectious disease wards, and convertible intensive care units shall be strengthened. Furthermore, “flagship” hospitals, departments, and primary-level healthcare institutions for integrated TCM–Western medicine collaboration shall be developed. (The National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Education, the National Health Commission, the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the people’s governments of all provinces are responsible.)

(15) Strengthen the development of TCM research platforms. Systematically advance the construction of Biosafety Level 3 laboratories in key areas of traditional Chinese medicine. Establish national key laboratories focusing on such priority areas as TCM theory, Chinese medicinal resources, innovation in Chinese medicines, and evaluation of TCM therapeutic efficacy. Strengthen the development of national science and technology innovation bases that support the advancement of TCM-related technologies and equipment and facilitate the demonstration and application of research outcomes. Concentrate efforts on establishing 10 to 20 national clinical research centers for TCM, with a focus on TCM’s signature diseases and distinctive therapeutic approaches. Build a number of research-support platforms for TCM to respond to public health emergencies. (The National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Health Commission, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences are responsible.)

(16) Implement the “Famous Doctors’ Clinics” Project. Relying on leading TCM medical institutions and teams, a number of practice platforms for renowned physicians’ clinics will be established. For teams of eminent physicians—including National Masters of TCM, distinguished senior TCM practitioners, and Qihuang Scholars—who take up residence in these clinics, comprehensive policies will be implemented to provide start-up support, brand protection, independent practice, autonomous operation, self-directed talent development, and liability for profits and losses, with the aim of cultivating a group of high-quality TCM institutions managed by such renowned physician teams. Social entities with proven experience are encouraged and supported to establish chain-operated renowned physician’s clinics that highlight distinctive features and strong branding, create first-class patient care environments, and deliver top-tier TCM services. (The State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the National Development and Reform Commission are responsible.)

(17) Implement a joint research initiative involving industry, academia, research institutions, and government in the field of traditional Chinese medicine. Leveraging high-level research institutions, higher education institutions, traditional Chinese medicine hospitals, and innovative TCM enterprises, we will establish a number of national-level incubation and translation bases for TCM research and scientific and technological achievements, address major scientific and technological challenges that constrain the development of TCM, formulate a set of TCM-specific diagnostic and therapeutic protocols, and translate these into advanced TCM equipment and new TCM drugs. We will support closer collaboration and resource sharing among TCM hospitals, enterprises, research institutions, and educational institutions to facilitate the market application of outstanding research findings. Furthermore, we will explore the use of technologies such as blockchain to strengthen the collection and objective evaluation of clinical outcomes in TCM. (The Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Health Commission, and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine are responsible.)

(18) Implement the Project for Enhancing Authentic Chinese Medicinal Materials. Strengthen the development of high-quality seed-breeding and production bases for authentic medicinal materials. Formulate technical standards for the harvesting of Chinese medicinal materials, primary processing at the place of origin, ecological cultivation, wild-assisted cultivation, and仿wild cultivation, promote standardized cultivation of Chinese medicinal materials, and encourage the establishment of specialized cooperatives and federations for the cultivation of such materials. Advance the construction of a number of modern logistics hubs for Chinese medicinal materials that are standardized, intensive, large-scale, and equipped with product information traceability, and foster a group of primary-processing and warehousing-logistics centers that meet the standards of a modern logistics system for Chinese medicinal materials. Guide medical institutions, pharmaceutical enterprises, and traditional Chinese medicine decoction-piece manufacturers to procure Chinese medicinal materials that are quality-assured and traceable. Deeply implement projects for the standardization of traditional Chinese medicine. Strengthen risk assessment and monitoring of the quality and safety of Chinese medicinal materials, promote the research and development of rapid-testing equipment and technological innovation, and establish third-party testing platforms. (Responsible: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Commerce, State Administration for Market Regulation, and National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine.)

(19) Establish national demonstration zones for comprehensive TCM reform. Reform institutional mechanisms to fully stimulate local enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity; address weaknesses, strengthen weak areas, and leverage strengths; accelerate the establishment and improvement of laws and regulations on TCM, development policies and measures, management systems, evaluation systems, and standardization systems; enhance the modernization of the TCM governance system and governance capacity; and cultivate 3–5 leading models for the high-quality development of the TCM sector and industry. (Responsible: National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Development and Reform Commission, National Health Commission, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and National Medical Products Administration.)

(20) Implement the Open Development Initiative for Traditional Chinese Medicine. Formulate the 14th Five-Year Plan for the Belt and Road Initiative on Traditional Chinese Medicine. Encourage and support non-governmental entities to adopt market-oriented approaches and, in collaboration with countries that have both the potential and the willingness to cooperate, jointly establish a number of sister TCM hospitals and TCM industrial parks. Develop “Internet Plus TCM trade” and provide visa facilitation for individuals coming to China to receive TCM services. Coordinate the development of international standards and regulatory frameworks for traditional medicine, and support international scientific and technological cooperation in the field of traditional medicine. (The National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Administration of Customs, the National Medical Products Administration, and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine are each responsible for specific aspects of this work.)

VI. Enhancing the Efficiency of TCM Development

(21) Improve the pricing policy for TCM services. Establish a health technology assessment system for TCM medical services that is primarily based on clinical value and the value of technical labor, and optimize pricing policies for TCM medical services. Implement a dynamic mechanism for adjusting medical service prices, conduct annual price adjustment assessments, and promptly adjust prices when the triggering conditions are met. Fully take into account the characteristics of TCM medical services, refine the tiered pricing policy, and prioritize the inclusion in the price adjustment scope of TCM medical service items that demonstrate clear functional efficacy, enjoy broad patient acceptance, exhibit distinctive strengths, reflect the value of labor, and have a long history of clinical application. Traditional Chinese medicinal decoction pieces and preparations manufactured and used by medical institutions shall be subject to autonomous pricing, and those that meet the relevant criteria shall, in accordance with regulations, be included in the scope of basic medical insurance reimbursement. (The National Healthcare Security Administration, the National Health Commission, and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine are responsible.)

(22) Improve and refine medical insurance management measures for traditional Chinese medicine. Strongly support the inclusion of TCM medical service items that demonstrate both clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness within the scope of basic medical insurance reimbursement, comprehensively considering factors such as effectiveness and affordability, and appropriately determining their classification as Category A or Category B in accordance with regulations. Explore medical insurance payment models that are tailored to the characteristics of TCM, publish a list of TCM-advantaged diseases, and encourage the implementation of equal reimbursement for the same disease treated with either TCM or Western medicine when outcomes and costs are comparable. In general, TCM diagnostic and therapeutic services will continue to be reimbursed on a per-service basis. Encourage commercial insurance companies to launch TCM-specific health insurance products and establish information-sharing mechanisms between insurance companies and TCM institutions. Support collaboration between insurance companies and TCM institutions in delivering health management services. Strengthen oversight and regulation of TCM services and associated expenditures that are covered by basic medical insurance. (Responsible: National Healthcare Security Administration, National Health Commission, China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, and National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine.)

(23) Reasonably provide non-basic traditional Chinese medicine services. On the basis that the total volume of basic medical services provided by public TCM medical institutions meets the needs of the general public and that basic medical expenses remain stable, such institutions shall be supported in offering non-basic medical services covered by commercial health insurance. In areas where conditions permit, pilot programs may be launched to relax restrictions on the proportion of premium medical services at public TCM medical institutions that have demonstrated strong performance in delivering public-service-oriented care. Furthermore, public TCM medical institutions shall be allowed, within the scope of applicable policies, to independently establish international medical departments and to independently determine the volume, service offerings, and pricing of international medical services; any surplus generated from such activities shall be primarily used to improve staff compensation, strengthen specialized department development, and support the overall construction and development of the hospital. (The National Health Commission, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, and the people’s governments of all provinces are each responsible for implementing these measures.)

VII. Fostering a Favorable Environment for the Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine

(24) Strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights in traditional Chinese medicine. Formulate guidelines for the examination of invention patents in the field of traditional Chinese medicine to further enhance the quality of patent examination in this area and promote international patent applications for TCM technologies. Improve the system for protecting trade secrets in TCM, strengthen confidentiality measures tailored to specific circumstances, enhance the commercial value of confidential information, and reinforce its international protection. Under the geographical indication protection mechanism, effectively safeguard and utilize the certification marks for authentic medicinal materials. Explore the inclusion of TCM decoction pieces with unique processing methods within the scope of variety protection for TCM products. (The State Administration for Market Regulation, the National Intellectual Property Administration, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the National Medical Products Administration shall each assume responsibility accordingly.)

(25) Optimize the management of TCM science and technology. Strengthen national scientific and technological research and development in traditional Chinese medicine, with a focus on research into TCM research methodology, efficacy evaluation, and ethical review. Encourage all provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government) to establish special funds for TCM science and technology, to be centrally managed and implemented by the TCM administrative authorities. Enhance research on the patterns and principles governing TCM scientific and technological activities, and advance the establishment of a TCM science and technology evaluation system. (Responsible: Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine.)

(26) Strengthen the dissemination of traditional Chinese medicine culture. Effectively strengthen the publicity and promotion of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) culture, so that TCM becomes a culturally conscious practice for the general public in promoting health. Establish a special program on TCM within the Project for the Inheritance and Development of China’s Fine Traditional Culture. Enhance the protection and transmission of intangible cultural heritage related to traditional medicine. Build a National Museum of TCM. Support improvements in the conditions for the preservation of ancient TCM texts at a number of TCM colleges and research institutions, and enhance their capacity for utilization. Implement initiatives to disseminate TCM culture, continuously carry out TCM cultural education in primary and secondary schools, and develop platforms and high-quality products for the dissemination of TCM culture. (Responsible: Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, Ministry of Education, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, National Health Commission, National Radio and Television Administration, National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and National Cultural Heritage Administration.)

(27) Enhance the rule of law in traditional Chinese medicine. Promote the formulation and revision of relevant laws, regulations, and rules, and strengthen the development of local regulations. Enhance the building of the regulatory workforce for traditional Chinese medicine and elevate the modernization of its review and oversight. Establish a system for recording instances of unethical professional conduct, incorporating the integrity and compliance of institutions and personnel providing TCM health services into a unified credit information platform, and publicly disclosing, in accordance with the law, information on administrative licenses and administrative penalties imposed on relevant enterprises through the “Credit China” website and the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System. (The Ministry of Justice, the National Health Commission, the State Administration for Market Regulation, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the National Medical Products Administration are each responsible for their respective tasks.)

(28) Strengthen organizational leadership over TCM work. Fully leverage the role of the Inter-Ministerial Joint Conference on Traditional Chinese Medicine under the State Council to promptly study and resolve major issues. Health administrative departments shall integrate TCM work into their overall planning, promotion, implementation, and evaluation, and strengthen the inheritance and innovation of TCM as well as the integration of TCM and Western medicine. They should ensure the full participation of TCM in the Healthy China Initiative, the development of the basic medical and health care system, and the establishment of a high-quality, efficient medical and health service system, while tilting resource allocation, policy mechanisms, and institutional arrangements in favor of TCM. TCM administrative authorities should intensify efforts in formulating TCM standards, conducting scientific research, cultivating talent, providing emergency medical care, and promoting TCM culture. Relevant departments shall perform their respective duties and earnestly advance the implementation of all related tasks. Local governments at all levels should further strengthen the establishment of TCM management institutions. Local authorities may, based on local conditions, further refine policies and measures to support the development of ethnic minority medicines in their regions. (Each relevant department and each provincial people’s government shall be responsible for this task respectively.)