The Government is committed to the industrialisation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in Macao, thus enhancing the city’s international competitiveness in that sector.

The Government’s efforts included standardising TCM by continuously optimising the regulatory system for TCM practice and products, and promoting effective and safe use of TCM, said the Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, today (Friday).

Mr Chui made the remarks in a speech this morning at the opening ceremony of the First World Health Organization (WHO) Inter-Regional Training Workshop on Quality and Safety of Traditional Medicine cum Joint Conference of WHO Collaborating Centres for Traditional Medicine of the West Pacific Region.

The First WHO Inter-Regional Training Workshop on Quality and Safety of Traditional Medicine is organised by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine (Macao), and is co-hosted by the Government of the Macao SAR and WHO.

Development of the TCM sector is one of the major elements in the diversification of Macao’s economy, said Mr Chui. The Government is to devote further effort in promoting the TCM sector, including ensuring Macao is positioned as an international base for quality control of TCM and as an international exchange and trading platform for the health industry, as part of Macao’s economic development effort as outlined in the Guangdong-Macao Cooperation Framework Agreement.

The Guangdong-Macao Traditional Chinese Medicine Industrial Technology Park, located on Hengqing Island in Zhuhai Prefecture, can take advantage of Macao’s bridging and linking role with Portuguese-speaking countries, said Mr Chui. Multidisciplinary collaborative projects in TCM, health, scientific research, education and culture will be pursued in order to further the industrialisation and internationalisation of Macao’s TCM products, he added.

The Chief Executive said particular attention would be paid to the expansion of Macao’s cooperation with other places regarding traditional medicine. This would make use of Macao’s unique role in the world, in order that the city could make further contributions to the country’s Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road (collectively known as the “Belt and Road” initiative).

The WHO Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine (Macao) was established in August last year with help from the global health body and the Central Government. A number of agreements in relation to the development of TCM also have been signed between the Government and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. All these are considered international recognition of Macao’s effort to promote TCM and created the expectation of further development of the sector in Macao in the future.

Today’s opening ceremony was attended by: the Director-General of WHO, Dr Margaret Chan Fung Fu-chun; the State Minister of Health of the Federal Ministry of Health of Sudan, Dr Somia Idris Osman Mohammed; Vice Minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission cum Director of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Professor Wang Guoqiang; Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR, Mr Xue Xiaofeng; the Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao SAR, Mr Ye Dabo; the Secretary for Food and Health of the Hong Kong SAR, Dr Ko Wing-man; the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR, Mr Tam Chon Weng; and Assistant Director-General of WHO, Dr Ren Minghui.

The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of WHO Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine (Macao) - The First WHO Interregional Training Workshop & Joint Conference of WHO Collaborating Centres for Traditional Medicine in the Western Pacific Region.