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The Presidents’ Forum 2025 of the Belt and Road Alliance for Traditional Chinese Medicine was held today (18 July) at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). The event brought together presidents and representatives from 30 institutions across mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao, as well as the Belt and Road countries to explore strategies for advancing the internationalisation and modernisation of traditional Chinese medicine. With over 400 participants from more than 60 organisations in attendance, the forum demonstrated strong support from various sectors for the innovative development of Chinese medicine and its contribution to global health and well-being.

Distinguished guests included Professor John Chai Yat-chiu, Chairman of the CUHK Council; Mr Leung Chun-ying, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Director and Advisor of the TCM All-sector Hong Kong Centre, and Director of the SC Chinese Medicine Trading Platform; Professor Lo Chung-mau, Secretary for Health in the Hong Kong government; Professor Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, CUHK’s Vice-Chancellor and President and Chairperson of the Alliance; Ms Li Ling, Deputy Director-General for the Coordination Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong SAR; Counsellor Wang Jian, Director for the Department of International Organizations and Conferences of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Hong Kong SAR; Mr Nicholas Ho Lik-chi, Commissioner for Belt & Road in the Hong Kong government; Dr Ivana Vukašinović, Assistant Minister, Sector for International Cooperation and European Integration, Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation, The Government of the Republic of Serbia, and Dr Vincent Chung Chi-ho, Commissioner for Chinese Medicine Development in the Hong Kong government. Also in attendance were representatives from government departments, ambassadors and consuls-general from various countries in Hong Kong.

Professor Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, CUHK’s Vice-Chancellor and President, and Chairperson of the Alliance, delivered a welcome address: “We are deeply grateful for the collective efforts of all the founding members over the past two years.  These joint endeavours have enabled the Alliance to fully leverage its strengths and foster partnerships among universities, research institutes and enterprises across the Belt and Road region. Together, we are contributing to the modernisation and internationalisation of the traditional Chinese medicine, with the shared goal of advancing global health. I hope this Forum will be a rewarding experience for all, inspiring innovative thinking and collective action to shape the future of the industry.”
Professor Lo Chung-mau, Secretary for Health in the Hong Kong government, said: “Under the framework of ‘One Country, Two Systems’, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government leverages its distinctive advantage of enjoying strong support of our country and being closely connected to the world to actively promote the comprehensive development of traditional Chinese medicine. With a well-established regulatory system of traditional Chinese medicine, as well as a wealth of professional talent and experience across industry, academia, and research, Hong Kong has laid a solid foundation for the modernisation and internationalisation of traditional Chinese medicine. The HKSAR government will further allocate resources and implement various policy measures to continuously promote the inheritance and innovation of traditional Chinese medicine.”

Attendees witnessed a plaque-unveiling ceremony for the Belt and Road International Laboratory for Innovative Traditional Medicine Research. Several universities from mainland China, Macao, Laos, New Zealand and Serbia joined the Alliance as new founding member units.

Mr Leung Chun-ying, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Director and Advisor of the TCM All-sector Hong Kong Centre, and Director of SC Chinese Medicine Trading Platform, delivered a keynote speech: “Hong Kong is like a small sparrow – compact yet complete in every aspect. It is also like a versatile toolbox, filled with intricate tools whose specific functions are not yet widely known, but which are capable of solving problems arising from unfamiliarity with this toolbox. Hong Kong serves as a super connector between mainland China and the rest of the world. In the grand mission of bringing traditional Chinese medicine to the global stage, I firmly believe that Hong Kong can contribute to its inheritance, innovation, and development, serving the people of Belt and Road countries. I am grateful for the efforts of The Belt and Road Alliance for Traditional Chinese Medicine and wish the forum a great success.”

In addition, several presidents and representatives participated in in-depth discussions during three round-table sessions: “The Development of Traditional Medicine under the Belt And Road Initiative: Current Status and Future Prospects”, “Artificial Intelligence and Traditional Chinese Medicine: Opportunities and Challenges” and “Bridging Boundaries: The Future of Integrating Traditional and Western Medicine”. Speakers shared insightful perspectives and forward-looking ideas, laying a strong foundation for the future of traditional medicine in advancing global health.

About the Belt and Road Alliance for Traditional Chinese Medicine

The Belt and Road Alliance for Traditional Chinese Medicine was proposed by CUHK. It is a non-profit cooperative organisation formed in 2023 by uniting over 20 government, industry, academic, and research institutions related to traditional medicine across the Belt and Road countries and regions. Currently, the Alliance includes over 40 provincial-level universities and colleges specialising in traditional medicine as founding members from the academic and research sectors, as well as renowned medical institutions, associations, and enterprises in the field as founding members from the medical and corporate sectors.