Healthy pact: Vice-Minister of Health and Director-General of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine Dr Wang Guoqiang (left) and Secretary for Food & Health Dr York Chow sign an agreement fostering cooperation in the development of Chinese medicine.

Hong Kong and the Mainland have signed an agreement fostering co-operation and exchange between the two jurisdictions in the development of Chinese medicine.

Secretary for Food & Health Dr York Chow and Vice-Minister of Health and Director-General of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine Dr Wang Guoqiang today signed the document in Hong Kong.

Under the agreement, the two parties will enhance co-operation in several areas, including:

* strategies for the development of Chinese medicine;

* Chinese medicine policies and regulation;

* development of service interface between Chinese and Western medicine;

* standards for Chinese medicine;

* training for Chinese medicine practitioners; and

* hospital management and organisation of promotional activities for Chinese medicine. 

Co-operation mechanism

To put into effect the co-operation agreement, the two parties agreed to establish a co-operation mechanism among relevant departments, and to hold working meetings when necessary.

Hong Kong will launch a series of programmes under the auspices of a nation-wide campaign to boost the promotion of traditional Chinese medicine in China.

To be held between November 24 and December 31, the Hong Kong programme will showcase Hong Kong's progress in the development of Chinese medicine. The campaign also aims to enhance the public's understanding of the history and curative effect of Chinese medicine.