The Traditional Chinese Medicine Administration of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, reported that Guangxi is building an opening up and cooperation project for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the Guangxi-ASEAN TCM R&D Center, and TCM laboratories cooperated with ASEAN countries.

The Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region is a large province in Chinese medicinal resources. It is known as China's "natural medicinal bank" and "hometown of Chinese medicinal materials". There are 7,506 kinds of traditional Chinese medicinal resources in Guangxi, ranking second in China. It has unique medicinal resources tied to ethnic minorities such as the Zhuang and Yao.

Guangxi will build an International Medical Open Pilot Zone in Fangchenggang, a TCM processing area in the Chongzuo area of China (Guangxi) Pilot Free Trade Zone, and a China-ASEAN Exchange and Cooperation Center.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), Guangxi will strive to build a national medicinal plant resource bank, collect 2,000 medicinal plant species from ASEAN countries, and establish a medicinal plant breeding platform for ASEAN.

ASEAN countries are one of China's most important partners in TCM services and trade overseas. Regarding the protection and utilization of medicinal plants, Guangxi has signed relevant agreements with relevant institutions in 36 countries, such as Laos and the Philippines, to promote the conservation of medicinal resource biodiversity and carry out a general survey of medicinal plant resources.

The Guangxi Medicinal Botanical Garden and seven provinces in Laos conducted a survey of native Lao medicinal plants, and jointly compiled the "Lao Herbal Medicine", "List of Lao Medicinal Plants", and "Laos Medicinal Plant Atlas", jointly established the Lao Medicinal Botanical Garden, and assisted ASEAN countries in developing traditions. The arrangement of herbal medicines and the construction of product demonstration and promotion bases will jointly promote the protection and sustainable use of medicinal resources.

In addition, Guangxi actively promotes the overseas dissemination of Chinese medicine. Guangxi International Zhuang Medical Hospital has established Chinese medicine departments in relevant hospitals in Cambodia and Laos. It has signed cooperation agreements with hospitals in Singapore, the Philippines, and Thailand to establish a China-ASEAN ethnic medicine remote diagnosis and treatment pilot platform. 

Two women pick fruits to be used for Chinese herbal medicine. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_df8bc987e060]