China Charts Global Expansion for Traditional Medicine over the next 5 years

• China plans to expand Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) globally, focusing on developing nations.

• The 2026–2030 Five-Year Plan promotes TCM innovation and integration with Western medicine.

• Support for Belt and Road countries includes healthcare capacity-building and technology transfer.

• Public health priorities include infectious disease control, disaster response, and blood safety.

• AI-driven employment policies aim to boost inclusive growth and modernize the workforce.

  
  

China has signaled a renewed push to elevate traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) on the global stage, positioning it as a potential contributor to tackling health challenges worldwide—particularly in developing nations.

Speaking during the annual “two sessions” meetings in Beijing, Lei Haichao, director of the National Health Commission, outlined the country’s intention to broaden the international reach of TCM. He said China aims not only to introduce its traditional medical practices and cultural heritage to a wider audience but also to encourage dialogue and shared learning among different traditional medicine systems across the globe.

According to Lei, Beijing plans to expand access to medicinal plant resources used in TCM therapies, with the goal of addressing health concerns not just domestically but also in countries across the Global South and other regions. The effort reflects a broader strategy to deepen China’s involvement in international public health collaboration.

Looking ahead to the 2026–2030 period covered by China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, Lei emphasized the ambition of building what he described as a “global community of health for all.” As part of this vision, China intends to provide support to developing countries—especially those participating in the Belt and Road Initiative—by strengthening their healthcare systems. Assistance is expected to include technological cooperation, professional training, and capacity-building measures designed to improve medical services.

Public health security will remain a central focus over the next five years. Lei identified infectious disease prevention and control as a pressing global concern, alongside improving emergency medical response mechanisms for natural disasters and ensuring the safety and stability of blood supplies. These areas are expected to form the backbone of China’s domestic and international health priorities.

The 15th Five-Year Plan, unveiled earlier this week, underscores the importance of advancing TCM both at home and abroad. It calls for greater innovation within the sector, enhanced education and training programs, and stronger integration between traditional Chinese and Western medical practices. Reforms to health insurance payment systems are also on the agenda, aimed at better supporting the development and accessibility of TCM services.

Beyond mainland China, the blueprint includes measures to bolster economic diversification in the special administrative regions. In Macau, for instance, authorities have pledged to enhance competitiveness in sectors such as TCM and healthcare, alongside specialized finance and high-tech industries.

The health policy announcements were delivered during a press briefing attended by senior officials responsible for social and livelihood issues. At the same event, Wang Xiaoping, minister of human resources and social security, addressed the employment dimension of the new five-year plan.

Wang said her ministry is collaborating with other departments to draft a dedicated employment strategy aligned with the 2026–2030 blueprint. The plan is expected to introduce targeted and practical measures to reinforce the role of job creation in sustaining economic growth.

She also highlighted the transformative effects of artificial intelligence on the labor market. While rapid advances in AI have sparked widespread discussion about job displacement, Wang indicated that policymakers are exploring ways to harness the technology to generate new employment opportunities and modernize traditional roles. The broader objective, she said, is to ensure that technological progress translates into tangible improvements in livelihoods and fosters inclusive development.

Together, the health and employment initiatives outlined during the “two sessions” reflect China’s effort to align domestic reform with a more assertive international role—leveraging traditional medicine, public health cooperation, and emerging technologies as pillars of its next phase of development.