The China (Huaihua) – RCEP Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry Matchmaking Conference opens. (Photo/Fu Jingyi) 

The China (Huaihua) – RCEP Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry Matchmaking Conference opened both online and offline in Hunan's Huaihua on February 28, 2023. The representatives of Huaihua authority, Thai Chinese Medical Association, Singapore Chinese Medicines and Health Products Merchant Association, and Malaysian Chinese Medical Association introduced respective medical industries. The conference aimed to enhance mutual understanding between the Chinese medical industries and enterprises in China and the RCEP member countries, and promote their innovation and practical endeavors for mutual-benefit cooperation.  

As a result of similar geological conditions and historical and cultural backgrounds, most of the RCEP member countries have similar disease spectrums and medication methods with China. Traditional Chinese medicine is widely recognized in these countries. Many common medicines, such as caulis spatholobi in Laos, eurycoma longifolia and cubilose in Malaysia, and sterculia scaphigera in Thailand, are also commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine. 

Huaihua, reputed as a "place of genuine traditional Chinese medicines", has favorable geological and climate conditions. It is one of China's top nine areas in ecological environment. It has Hunan's largest deposits of Chinese herbal medicines, and possess nearly 64.95% of the herbal varieties province-wide. As a main planting area of wild and artificially cultivated Chinese herbal medicines in southern regions of China, it has many unique and valuable Chinese herbal medicines including Fu Ling (poria), Huang Jing (polygonatum), Longya lily bulb, Qing Feng Teng (sinomenium acutum), and Tian Ma (rhizome gastrodiae). 

Twelve Chinese medicine investment and trade cooperation projects were contracted, with a total investment of four billion CNY. For example, the Huaihua Chinese Herbal Medicine Association and the Hunan Chamber of Commerce in Guangdong Province reached an agreement on production-marketing match-making and strategic cooperation for "Huai Liu Wei (Huaihua's six major Chinese herbal medicines)" brand. The Huaihua Zhenghao Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. contracted with a Cambodian medical investment and management company on promoting Chinese medicine cooperation in ASEAN countries.