China has expedited the expansion of the international presence of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) over the past decade, with the practice now spread to 196 countries and regions, according to the National Administration of TCM.

The country has facilitated the establishment of the ISO/TC249, a technical committee within the International Organization for Standardization, which has so far issued 89 international standards for TCM, the administration said at a press conference on Friday.

China has signed specialized cooperation agreements on TCM with over 40 countries, regions and international organizations, with 30 high-quality overseas TCM centers and 75 international cooperation bases for TCM now in operation, said Wu Zhendou, head of the international cooperation department of the administration. TCM has been incorporated into 16 free-trade agreements, Wu added.

TCM has played a positive role in global COVID-19 prevention and control since the outbreak of the pandemic, according to the press conference.

China has published multi-lingual diagnostic and therapeutic protocols for COVID-19 and introduced the protocols to over 150 countries and regions, provided TCM products to countries and regions in need, and dispatched TCM experts to relevant countries and regions to aid COVID-19 containment.

An assessment report on TCM treatment for COVID-19 by the World Health Organization has given credit to TCM for its effectiveness and safety, said Wu.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China will step up international cooperation on TCM to build 30 more high-quality overseas TCM centers and 50 international TCM cooperation bases, issue 30 international standards for TCM, and strengthen overseas registration services for TCM products, among other measures, according to the administration.