Recently, a ceremony was held at the China–Belarus Industrial Park in Minsk, Belarus, to present an entry certificate for the park’s first traditional Chinese medicine industry project. Analysts believe that this project will not only fill the gap in the park’s traditional medicine sector but also mark a breakthrough in practical cooperation between China and Belarus in the field of health care.

Yaroshenko, Director of the Management Committee of the China–Belarus Industrial Park, stated that the project will produce and package traditional Chinese medicine granules with proven efficacy against COVID-19. In the future, the park plans to expand the range of TCM products by utilizing local Belarusian herbs and plant-based raw materials, with the aim of not only supplying the Belarusian market but also exporting these products abroad.

“China–Belarus cooperation in traditional Chinese medicine enjoys favorable conditions—timely opportunities, geographical advantages, and popular support,” said Xie Xiaoyong, Chinese Ambassador to Belarus. He noted that the Belarusian public is no stranger to TCM; in particular, acupuncture and tuina massage have been widely practiced in the country for as long as 30 years. To date, TCM centers have been established in all six regions and one city across Belarus, offering not only conventional tuina and acupuncture treatments but also teaching qigong practices such as Tai Chi and Baduanjin. All Belarusian physicians working at these TCM centers have studied or undergone advanced training in China, and the centers in Grodno and Mogilev are further staffed by Chinese experts. During the COVID-19 pandemic, China’s aid to Belarus included TCM preparations for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19, whose therapeutic efficacy has been highly recognized by the Belarusian authorities.

In addition, Belarus boasts a unique tradition of folk medicine and practices that share remarkable similarities with traditional Chinese medicine. The region is rich in medicinal plant resources, including dandelion, chaga mushroom, chamomile, and wild rose—species widely used in modern medicine—thus opening up broad prospects for cooperation between China and Belarus in the field of traditional medicine.

Androshchuk, Deputy Minister of Health of Belarus, believes that the establishment of a traditional Chinese medicine industry project in the China–Belarus Industrial Park will further strengthen bilateral exchanges and cooperation in the field of TCM, and he is confident that the project will achieve outstanding results. The Belarusian Ministry of Health will provide all necessary assistance and support for the project.

The park has a long-term vision for the development of TCM industry projects. According to Yaroshenko, leveraging this project, the park plans to establish a Eurasian Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, which will collaborate with research and medical institutions both within China and in neighboring countries to exchange expertise in the field of TCM. It is hoped that a Belt and Road regional cooperation forum focused on TCM can be held within the China–Belarus Industrial Park this year, thereby helping the TCM industry expand into Eurasia and other countries along the Belt and Road.

“Today’s traditional Chinese medicine represents an organic integration of tradition and innovation, attracting growing attention from an increasing number of countries and peoples around the world.” According to Belarusian Ambassador to China Syanko, with the close attention and support of the governments of both Belarus and China, TCM projects are sure to thrive and further expand into the two major markets of the Eurasian Economic Union and the European Union.

The Traditional Chinese Medicine project at the China–Belarus Industrial Park was established through joint investment by the Jintai Cultural Institute, a social service organization under the Ministry of Civil Affairs of China, and relevant enterprises. Cai Chuanqing, President of the Jintai Cultural Institute and a TCM expert, told People’s Daily that the issuance of the park-entry certificate marks a new starting point for implementing the “going global” strategy for TCM. Chinese companies will make every effort to build the park into a demonstration base for disseminating TCM health concepts, promote traditional TCM culture, and facilitate exchanges and integration among traditional medical systems across Eurasia.