A delegation headed by H.E. Rimantė Šalaševičiūtė, Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania, visited BUCM on the afternoon of January 11, 2016. The delegation was received by Prof. Zhai Shuangqing, Vice President of BUCM. They discussed the possibility for cooperation between both sides in the field of traditional medicine.

Firstly, Vice President Zhai extended, on behalf of BUCM, his warm welcome to the delegation and talked about the development of the university and TCM in China.  Minister Rimantė Šalaševičiūtė then said that her ministry had drafted an alternative medicine act and submitted it to the parliament in 2014 and the motion will probably be passed in 2016. The proposed act spells out laws and regulations concerning the practice of such traditional therapies as acupuncture, moxibustion, homeopathy, and yoga etc.. The delegation thus wants to know more about the development of traditional medicine in China.

Prof. Zhai then made a brief introduction to the role of TCM in the health care system of China. He said that Chinese medicine and Western medicine enjoy equal status in China, and the two and the integrated medicine supplement each other and developed concurrently. The State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine was established in charge of government administration. About education, a system featuring multiple programs, levels and forms has been set up. There are 25 TCM universities and colleges and over 60 medical universities offer TCM programs. TCM scientific research areas are expanding, a large number of research findings have been made and the academic quality is continually improved.

Impressed by the information, Minister Rimantė Šalaševičiūtė expressed her sincere wishes to invite TCM experts at BUCM to elaborate on their invaluable experience in TCM at a symposium on traditional medicine which will be held in May and June, 2016 in the Republic of Lithuania, so that Lithuanian scientists and doctors will learn more about the remarkable efficacy of TCM, which can play a more important role in the health care system of her country.

Those who also attended the meeting were Prof. Zhang Liping, Director of the International Cooperation Department,  Prof. Ding Xia, Director of the Office of Medical Care, Prof. Tang Minke, Dean of the International School, and Dr. Han Zhenyun, Vice Dean of the Graduate School.

                                                                                                                                       International Cooperation Department