A co-operation agreement has been signed to further promote the development of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong and the Mainland.

Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan and National Health Commission Party Group Member & Party Secretary and National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (NATCM) Vice Commissioner Prof Yu Yanhong signed the agreement today.

Prof Chan noted the Food & Health Bureau and the NATCM signed a co-operation agreement on Chinese medicine in 2007 which was updated in 2013, and since then, there have been significant developments and new opportunities for Chinese medicine in the two places, such as the Belt & Road Initiative, the development of the Bay Area and the development of the Chinese medicine hospital in Hong Kong.

“Today is an opportune time for us to renew the agreement, with a view to consolidating experience and enhancing co-operation in the field of Chinese medicine, and to further promoting the development of Chinese medicine in the two places," she added.

Under the agreement, the two parties will strengthen co-operation in areas such as the development of the Chinese medicine hospital in Hong Kong, internationalisation and standardisation of Chinese medicine, the Belt & Road Initiative and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area.

The two sides will initiate exchanges on Chinese medicine services and education, and collaborate on Chinese medicine research and on the information technology management of Chinese medicine services.

To support the nationwide initiative, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government launched a series of activities on October 25 under the “Promotion of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China - Hong Kong Programme" which will run until December 31.