A launch ceremony was held today for the Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong (CMHHK) and the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute (GCMTI), with Chief Executive John Lee officiating.

A number of national officials also attended, along with more than 300 guests, including representatives from the city’s Chinese and Western medical sectors and members of the Legislative Council, as the development of Chinese Medicine (CM) in Hong Kong entered a new stage.

Joining the Chief Executive in a plaque-unveiling ceremony were Minister of the National Health Commission Lei Haichao; Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Zhou Ji; Commissioner of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine Yu Yanhong; Director General of the Fifth Bureau of the Hong Kong & Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office of the State Council Zhao Xudong; and Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau.

In a speech, Mr Lee said the official launch of the CMHHK and GCMTI initiates the formation of a CM ecosystem in Hong Kong that will connect academic institutions and hospitals, scientific research and the CM industry.

He stressed that the Hong Kong SAR Government has aligned with national strategies by integrating fully with the overall national development of CM. He added that is committed to promoting the high-quality development of CM, and will fully leverage Hong Kong’s unique advantages under the “one country, two systems” principle to become a bridgehead for CM to go global.

He said he hopes the CM sector in Hong Kong will “innovate from inheritance and develop through innovations”, with a view to making greater contributions to the health of all mankind.

Mr Lei highlighted that the National Health Commission and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine are fully committed to promoting the role of CM in prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, innovation, talent training and more.

He said the two bodies are also working to establish integrated centres that combine Chinese and Western medicine, strengthen the pool of “Western doctors learning CM”, deepen clinical collaboration between Chinese and Western medicine in treating major and complex diseases, and improve the service system connecting Chinese and Western medicine.

Prof Lo said the commencement of services at the CMHHK and GCMTI in phases from last month is conducive to Hong Kong’s further development in areas such as CM clinical services, talent training, and testing standards.

He thanked the National Health Commission and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine for their ongoing strong support for CM development in Hong Kong, and the city’s CM sector and other relevant stakeholders for supporting the two projects.