SIBU: Sarawak’s diverse ecology is a treasure trove for traditional medicine and China is seeing much benefit from it.
Consul General of the People’s Republic of China here, Xing Weiping, said the state’s unique environment holds out great potential for the development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
“People in Sarawak trust and love traditional Chinese medicine,” he said, pointing to the 1st World Chinese Medicine Forum held here in 2019 which attracted hundreds of TCM experts and scholars from Southeast Asian countries and regions.
The Chinese Consulate-General here, he said, attaches great importance to this potential and would actively support the development of TCM in Sarawak.
“We are willing to contribute more to promote exchanges and cooperation in TCM between China and Sarawak,” he said at the opening of the 2nd World Chinese Medicine Forum here Saturday.
“We hope all the experts, scholars and practitioners attending the forum will take the opportunity to cooperate in building an exchange platform, discussing medical skills, exploring medical paths, promoting medical ethics, and jointly promoting the scientific development of TCM to a higher level.”
The forum hosted by the Sarawak Traditional Chinese Physicians Association (STCPA) and co-organised by Asia Skills College (ASC) was opened by Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian who is also the Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government.
Earlier In his speech, STCPA president Dr Tony Kong pointed out that as the world continues to evolve, the academic and cultural aspects of TCM are widely recognised by countries worldwide, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), which recognises TCM as a form of traditional medicine.
According to a statistical report by WHO, he said TCM has been used for treatment or health care by four billion people globally.
“Many universities around the world have established TCM departments, and it is evident that people of different ethnicity are studying TCM.
“I believe that in recent years of the development of TCM education and the active promotion of the Belt and Road initiative by China, the development of economic and cultural exchanges among countries along the route has included the dissemination of TCM academic and cultural knowledge, influencing the world through the Silk Road of today,” Dr Kong added.
Among those present were Bukit Assek assembyman Joseph Chieng, chairman of Sibu Municipal Council Clarence Ting and honorary adviser of STCPA Datuk Lau Ngie Hua.
