The exchanges between China and Austria on TCM have yielded fruitful results

BEIJING, June 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report by haiwainet.cn:

China and Austria have a long history of exchanges in The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). In July 2005, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in TCM. Under the framework of this cooperation agreement, the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences also signed the first cooperation agreement with the Eurasian Pacific Academic Network of Austria. Since then, the exchanges between China and Austria in the field of traditional Chinese medicine have been deepening and bearing fruitful results.

In September 2020, the "China-Austrian Belt and Road Joint Lab on TCM for the Prevention and Treatment of Severe Infectious Diseases" jointly built by the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and the University of Graz in Austria, was officially approved by the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, which is the first national "Belt and Road"joint laboratory in the field of TCM.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, experts from the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine shared with Austrian experts their experience, guidelines and information in a timely manner and expressed their concern to Austrian experts. On May 8, 2020, the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and the University of Graz jointly held an international video conference on the fight against COVID-19 with TCM. Experts from China and Austria exchanged views on the role of TCM in fighting COVID-19 and the next stage of China-Austria cooperation through video conference in four sub-venues.

Over the years, China and Austria have not only cultivated a group of international traditional Chinese medicine talents, but also emerged a TCM "iron fan". Bao Rude, director of the Institute of Pharmacy and the Center for TCM Research at the the University of Graz in Austria, has been with TCM for 30 years, deeply in love with TCM culture, and has deep feelings for China and Chinese excellent traditional culture. He likes the meaning contained in his Chinese name, which represents "gentle and elegant morality". This is the cultivation and image he pursues.

"TCM can make an important contribution to building a healthy world," he said in an interview with Guangming Daily. Bao also fully affirmed the value of TCM in the prevention and control of major infectious diseases, he said: "Tu Youyou discovered artemisinin, which can save the lives of millions of malaria patients; TCM's role in COVID-19 treatment also proves this point... China's victory in the epidemic prevention and control campaign is inseparable from the role of TCM."