BEIJING, December 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The China Beijing International Fair for Trade in Services (Beijing Fair) is jointly hosted by the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China and the Government of Beijing Municipality. The 3rd Beijing Fair-International Healthcare Service Introduction and Marketing and Business Cooperation Conference, jointly hosted by the Chinese Medical Doctor Association (CMDA) and China Association of Trade in Services (CATS) and organized by several organizations including China-HMO, BJ-HMO and Ciming Health Checkup Management Group Co., Ltd, took place on December 3, 2013, in Beijing. The conference represents the first international event focusing on better mutual understanding and business cooperation across the healthcare sector jointly held by China's healthcare service sector since the government's issuance of the directive "Some Opinions of the State Council on Promoting the Development of the Health Services Industry" issued on October 14 and the 3rd Plenary Session of 18th CPC Central Committee's decision to deepen the reform. The theme of "Openness, Cooperation and Win-Win" is a clear expression of China's economic strategy of further extending the reform and opening up, enhancing international cooperation and boosting the development of the healthcare service industry.
A representative from the National Health and Family Planning Commission said during the conference that the 2nd Beijing Fair-International Healthcare Service Introduction and Marketing and Business Cooperation Conference was of great significance to the globalization and industrialization of the country's healthcare service industry due to its focus on deepening reform as well as increasing the percentage of privately-owned medical institutions across China's healthcare sector as well as developing better socially capitalized hospitals. The 3rd Beijing Fair-International Healthcare Service Introduction and Marketing and Business Cooperation Conference, which is being held after the 3rd Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee and the issuance of the "Some Opinions of the State Council on Promoting the Development of the Health Services Industry" directive, is an event fully in support of and aligned with the country's reform and opening up policies. The CMDA, on behalf of more than 1,000 3A graded hospitals and 2.6 million medical practitioners across the country, is taking an active role in the event, helping the conference become one of the leading service events across the sector. Healthcare service providers both in and outside of China are invited to participate in the event and to take advantage of the rare collaborative opportunities given China's commitment to reform and opening up.
CMDA Director Shi Liying gave a presentation on the status of healthcare in China. According to predictions by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank, the continuous rise of China's medical services needs is driven by four factors including the rigid demand led by China's aging population, the growing demand brought about by the evolution of the disease spectrum from acute infectious diseases to major chronic ones, the rigid demands due to the reform of the sector, and demand at the consumer level as a result of the rise in average household incomes. As China's medical reform deepens, the service content, functionality and ownership forms of the health service industry are all expected to witness more and bigger changes, leading to a broader medical health market. The State Council issued the Opinions on Promoting the Development of Health Service Industry this September, according to which the output of China's health service sector will exceed 8 trillion yuan (US$1.31 trillion) by 2020. China's health expenditure reached 2.4 trillion yuan (US$394 billion) in 2011, accounting for a mere 5.15% of GDP. To reach the target in 2020, health expenditure needs to have an average annual growth rate of 14% and to account for 9% of GDP. The medical health service industry will become an important driver for China's continued socioeconomic development.
Hu Bo, the secretary general at the CMDA-HMO and the organizing committee of the 3rd Beijing Fair-International Healthcare Service Introduction and Marketing and Business Cooperation Conference, said at the conference that China's medical health service sector had been saddled by structural weakness in its economic development for a long time, signifying that as the reform deepening policies and measures continue to be implemented, the huge market potential of the healthcare service sector will become a new engine driving China's as well as the world's development. China is now facing giant gaps in areas including sector financing, professional training, R&D and its application into new equipment, cooperation across the sector, application of new IT technology, high-end service models and the recruitment of high-tech and special talents. At the same time, traditional Chinese medicine also needs more international recognition and acceptance, posing exceptional business opportunities for peers at home and abroad. Previous Beijing Fairs witnessed participation by a number of outstanding companies that are capable of representing China across several sectors, including Ciming Health Checkup Management Group, OASIS International Wellness Club, Beijing Oasis International Hospital, Mamayuguo.com and Aier Eye Hospital Group. These companies are the best partners for companies from abroad who wish to enter the Chinese market and achieve a win-win cooperation. The Beijing Fair-International Healthcare Service Introduction and Marketing and Business Cooperation Conference is currently the only professional service trade event in China as well as globally. The event will strive to become the best communication, exchange, education and cooperation platform for participating visitors and representatives from home and abroad on the basis of the two previous successful events.
During this conference, the German Cooperation for Transparency and Quality in Health Services (KTQ) and Germany-based Eurasia Communications signed a cooperation agreement with the organizing committee of Beijing Fair-International Healthcare Service. "China is a driver of the global economy and the primary economic partner of Germany and Europe. All economies will benefit from the opening-up of China's healthcare service market, and we will not miss the huge opportunity," said representatives from KTQ and Eurasia Communications. Ciming Health Checkup Management Group, OASIS International Wellness Club and several other leading Chinese firms that are repeat exhibitors of the prior two Beijing Fairs and that have signed deals worth hundreds of millions of yuan also confirmed their participation in the 2014 event.
The 2013 2nd Beijing Fair-International Healthcare Service attracted over 2,000 visitors and representatives from home and abroad, including the United States, South Korea and Japan. Representatives from leading Chinese companies, including Ciming Health Checkup Management Group, OASIS International Wellness Club, Aier Eye Hospital Group, Mamayuguo.com and Shanghai Medical Tourism Products & Promotion Platform together closed deals worth nearly 7 million yuan at the 2013 event. Following its participation at the first Beijing Fair, within two years, Ciming Health Checkup Management Group set up approximately 30 new business locations across China, further demonstrating the resulting long-tail effect. The 2014 3rd Beijing Fair-International Healthcare Service will offer exhibitions, specialized forums and meetings involving international medical services, health insurance, physical examination services, health tourism, health maintenance and healthcare services for the aged, health education and chronic disease management services, mobile healthcare services and health-related support services.
Approximately 150 people attended the conference, including leaders from the National Health and Family Planning Commission, the organizing committee of Beijing Fair, CMDA and Health News, representatives to China of several national governmental and commercial organizations as well as leading Chinese companies and journalists from China and foreign major media outlets.