The "High-Level Expert Symposium on High-Quality Development of Chinese Medicine in Yangtze River Delta and Research Forum on Chinese Medicine Theory Modernization" (the Conference) was held in Hangzhou on April 8. It was sponsored by the China Association of Chinese Medicine, organized by ZCMU, and co-organized by Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, and Anhui University of Chinese Medicine. The Conference, centering around China’s regional development strategies, focused on the theme of "planning the blueprint for the integrated high-quality development of the Yangtze River Delta and discussing modernized inheritance and innovation of TCM theory". It reached a consensus on continuously modernizing TCM theory, strengthening high-quality talent training, enhancing TCM industry capability, etc. Chen Xiangmei, Li Dapeng and Xiao Wei, academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Wang Qingguo, who has received the title of National Master of Chinese Medicine, the highest honor in the field of TCM, and Li Shao, a tenured professor of Tsinghua University and other renowned TCM experts attended the Conference.

The Conference included two sessions, with an opening ceremony hosted by ZCMU Vice President Wen Chengping.

The first session featured speeches by leaders in the TCM field. Li Yu, director of the Department of Science and Technology of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, recognized the integrated development of Chinese medicine in the Yangtze River Delta promoted by Shanghai municipality, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces, and pointed out that the four should give full play to the unique role and significant strengths of Chinese medicine in maintaining and promoting the health of people in the Delta, further the high-quality development of Chinese medicine in the Delta, and actively build a regional innovation community for Chinese medicine.

Wang Renyuan, Director of the Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Zhejiang Province, said that Zhejiang had put the reform and development of TCM in the context of common prosperity and modernization; the province constantly seeks to strengthen the innovation in TCM theory, technology, system, management, and development mode to propel the high-quality development of TCM and contribute to Chinese path to modernization in Zhejiang through TCM.

Huang Honghong, director of the Yangtze River Delta Integrated Division of the Zhejiang Provincial Development and Reform Commission, said that the Delta region  should focus on improving people’s livelihood by TCM and enhance people’s sense of fulfillment based on its advantages, so as to achieve a strong alliance and equip the  Delta region with more momentum, better structure, and higher level for the TCM development.

In his speech, Wang Guochen, Vice President and Secretary General of the China Association of Chinese Medicine, stressed the pivotal strategic position of the Yangtze River Delta region in the national modernization and all-round opening-up. He pledged that the association would continue to play a role as a beacon and bridge in the academia to further the exchanges and cooperation between different cities and boost high-quality regional integrated development.

ZCMU President Chen Zhong expressed the hope that the Chinese medicine colleges and universities in the Yangtze River Delta could further coordinate in the modernization research, resource protection and utilization, talent training, industry innovation, and international exchanges and cooperation of TCM, thus contributing wisdom and strength to the high-quality development of TCM.

After the speeches, Academician Chen Xiangmei and Academician Xiao Wei delivered reports on the topic of "Connotation and Practice Innovation of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine in the New Era" and "Development Strategy and Application of Innovative Chinese Medicine Based on Bioactive Components," respectively.

In the second session, chaired by Wang Guochen and concluded with his speech, Prof. Li Shao, Xiao Luwei, former president of Zhejiang Association of Chinese Medicine, and Fan Yongsheng, current president of the Zhejiang association, Wang Qi, Secretary of the Party Committee of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Chen Zhong, Wen Chengping, and the heads of health committees, TCM management organizations, and enterprises from the Delta region had an in-depth discussion on promoting high-quality development of TCM in the Delta.