On September 5^th, the 4^th Belt and Road Forum for Traditional Chinese Medicine Development was held in China National Conference Center in Beijing. It’s organized by Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Chen Zhu, vice chairman of the NPC standing committee, delivered a speech through video in the opening ceremony. Other people giving speeches were Gaoyuan, president of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Huang Luqi, deputy director of National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Li Zhaoxing, former minister of foreign affairs, honorary chairman of Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs, Du Feijin, deputy director of the standing committee and deputy secretary of leading party group of the people’s congress of Beijing, Li Xikui, deputy director of Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Clare Fearnley, New Zealand’s ambassador to China, Chairman of the Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting and Communications Committee of the National Assembly (written version) and Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand. More than 300 guests from more than 10 countries attended the forum.

    Li Xikui said that “Belt and Road” originated in China, but belongs to the world. Since the “Belt and Road” initiative was brought up by the president Xi Jinping in 2013, every party had been adhering to the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits and complementing policy communication, infrastructure connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration, and people-to-people connectivity. The revitalized ancient Silk Road was bringing benefit to people in countries and regions along the road and was playing a more and more important role in promoting the development and prosperity of the world.

    Li Xikui said that traditional Chinese medical system had a long history and rich cultural accumulation. It shouldered the responsibility to cure people, carried the wisdom of Chinese people and culture and contributed to the healthy living and thriving of Chinese people as well as to cultural inheritance. The fight against the pandemic proved that the combination of Chinese and western medicine could make full use of the values and effects of both of them, traditional Chinese medicine and modern medical science could complement each other and guarantee human health.

    Li Xikui said that Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries had been enhancing friendship, mutual understanding and mutual trust between Chinese and people in other countries. They were willing to make full use of diplomacy between people and cities; push forward the international cooperation and cooperation in traditional Chinese culture; promote the spirit of the Silk Road; add driving force to the high-quality construction of the “Belt and Road” initiative, improve the welfare of people in the world and contribute to the construction of a health community shared by all.

    This event was a professional forum for 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services.