On the morning of April 8th, Zhang Jinping, President of the US-China Friendship Association, and Xing Jijun, Senior Advisor of the US-China Center for TCM, along with their party, visited our university accompanied by leaders from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Bureau of Guangdong Province. Wang Wei, Deputy Secretary of the CPC GZCUM Committee and President of the university, and Guo Hong, Member of Standing Committee of the CPC GZCUM Committee and Vice President of the university, attended the symposium.
Wang Wei expressed a warm welcome to the arrival of President Zhang Jinping and his delegation, hoping that with the support and assistance of the US-China Friendship Association, and relying on the US-China Center for TCM, they could actively explore channels for US-China cooperation in TCM, engage in high-level scientific research collaboration, and promote the mutual learning and integration of TCM and western medicine. He also expressed the intention to introduce high-level international talent to comprehensively improve clinical service capabilities, thereby contributing to the global advancement of TCM.
Guo Hong provided an overview of the university’s advancements across several key domains, such as education and teaching, scientific research construction, medical services, and international exchanges. He conveyed his anticipation that this exchange would serve as a catalyst for a deeper mutual understanding, a stronger consensus, and an expansion of multifaceted collaboration in the realms of TCM education, research, and medical care.
Zhang Jinping conveyed his sincere thanks for the warm hospitality by the university. He introduced the basic situation of the US-China Friendship Association and the US-China Center for TCM, and also discussed the development of TCM in the United States. He stated that he hopes to leverage the association’s long-standing foundation in cultural exchanges in the United States, as well as its geographical advantage of being located in New York, the “Capital of the World”，to collaborate with our university in areas such as remote diagnosis and treatment of TCM, international talent cultivation, and the export of TCM preparations. He looks forward to both parties jointly using TCM as a medium to promote Chinese culture on the global stage.
During the symposium，both parties engaged in discussions and explorations regarding internationalization of TCM and the cultivation of international TCM talents. The delegation also visited the Deng Tietao Documentation Center at the university’s library. Representatives from the university’s Department of Science and Technology, the Graduate School, the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges, and the School of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Rehabilitation Medicine, as well as the leaders of the first, second, and third affiliated hospitals participated in the discussion and exchange.
The Sino-American Friendship Association (SAFA), established in 1992 and headquartered in New York, is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering friendly exchanges between the United States and China. Its mission is to enhance understanding and friendship between the peoples of the two countries, expand bilateral exchanges and cooperation, and showcase the image and culture of China through various forms of Sino-American interactions. In 2018, Zhang Jinping, President of the Sino-American Friendship Association, initiated and, in collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), Massachusetts General Hospital of Harvard Medical School, Long Island University, and other top American universities, hospitals, and research institutions, established the US-China Center for TCM. Leveraging the expansive network of nearly 10,000 members of the Sino-American Friendship Association and its Medical Cooperation Committee across the United States, the center stands as an all-encompassing overseas hub for TCM. It harmoniously integrates various facets such as medical care, research, education, industry, and promotional activities. The center maintains a pivotal role in facilitating bilateral exchanges and cooperation in the realm of TCM between the US and China, as well as in driving the internationalization of TCM, thereby enhancing its global presence and influence.
