To earnestly implement the directives of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council regarding the establishment of a National Comprehensive Reform Demonstration Zone for Traditional Chinese Medicine, to comprehensively advance the construction of our province’s National Comprehensive Reform Demonstration Zone for Traditional Chinese Medicine, and to promote the high-quality development of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Sichuan, the following implementation plan is hereby formulated.
I. General Requirements
(1) Guiding Principles. We will adhere to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as our guide, thoroughly implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on TCM work and the spirit of his important instructions during his inspection tour of Sichuan, follow the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council regarding comprehensively deepening reform, and focus on the general work approach of “upholding political integrity, promoting development, improving people’s livelihoods, and ensuring security.” We will implement the strategic deployment of “one core, multiple branches, and coordinated development of the five regions” and the ““Expanding in Four Directions and Opening Up Across the Entire Region,” adopt a problem-, demand-, and goal-oriented approach, fully stimulate and unleash the diverse functions and value of TCM, promote the modernization of the TCM governance system and governance capabilities, provide sustained momentum for the inheritance and innovative development of TCM in our province, and serve as a model for “solving difficult problems, exploring new paths, and setting an example” for the inheritance and innovative development of TCM nationwide.
(2) Development Goals. We will invigorate the development of TCM, concentrate on implementing a series of major reform projects, and produce a set of landmark and pioneering reform achievements. We aim to build the Demonstration Zone into a source of innovation and reform for TCM nationwide, a model for the high-quality “trinity” of TCM undertakings, industry, and culture, and a leading area for promoting regional coordination and shared development.By 2025, Sichuan’s overall strength and development quality in TCM will rank among the nation’s best; its capacity for TCM inheritance and innovation, as well as its cultural soft power, will lead the country; and its TCM service standards, full-industry-chain development, and support capabilities will be at the forefront nationwide, making Sichuan a pioneer in the high-quality development of TCM across the country.
II. Main Tasks
(1) Establishing “Four Frameworks.”
1. Establish a robust management framework. Comprehensively strengthen the Party’s leadership over TCM work. The Provincial Leading Group for Advancing the National Comprehensive Reform Demonstration Zone for Traditional Chinese Medicine and Building a Strong Province in TCM will coordinate the implementation of the “two initiatives”—the Demonstration Zone and the Strong Province in TCM. Municipal and county-level governments will establish and improve relevant working mechanisms, strengthening the functions of TCM administrative departments in coordinating the development of TCM affairs, industry, and culture. All cities and counties will designate specific agencies to undertake TCM management functions, further enhancing the initiative in TCM work.The government shall fulfill its responsibility to fund public TCM hospitals; private capital shall be encouraged to establish TCM industry investment funds; and financial institutions shall be encouraged to innovate financial products to support the distinctive development of TCM.
2. Establish a support framework aligned with the inherent principles of TCM. Reform TCM pricing and medical insurance policies; formulate specific measures for medical insurance to support the inheritance and innovative development of TCM; establish a health technology assessment system for TCM medical services that conforms to the principles of TCM; optimize pricing policies for TCM medical services; support the use of TCM preparations by medical institutions; advance reforms in TCM medical insurance payment methods; select and publish TCM-advantaged disease categories; explore suitable medical insurance payment methods; and establish incentive mechanisms for the clinical application of TCM.Innovate the evaluation mechanism for scientific and technological achievements in TCM, implement categorized evaluations, guide and standardize third-party evaluations, promote the establishment of a post-evaluation system for major TCM scientific and technological projects, explore a joint project initiation model combining “science and technology with TCM,” and establish a separate “Traditional Chinese Medicine” category for the application and review of provincial scientific and technological achievement awards.Improve the evaluation mechanism to ensure that TCM hospitals remain true to their TCM identity, strengthen hospital management models and service functions centered on TCM services, and establish assessment mechanisms—covering fiscal investment, medical insurance support, talent cultivation, and compensation distribution—to support TCM hospitals in leveraging their distinctive strengths. Optimize and refine TCM-specific indicators in the evaluation of TCM hospitals and the “three-pronged supervision” platform for TCM medical services.Establish an evaluation mechanism for the effectiveness of local TCM development, construct a comprehensive evaluation indicator system that reflects the achievements of TCM development, and publish municipal (prefectural) TCM development indices and equity indices.
3. Build a balanced and accessible service framework. Strive to establish National Traditional Chinese Medicine Medical Centers and National Regional Traditional Chinese Medicine Medical Centers; accelerate the construction of National Key Hospitals with Distinctive TCM Features; establish a number of Provincial Regional Traditional Chinese Medicine Medical Centers and County-level Regional Sub-Centers for Traditional Chinese Medicine; and open 7,500 traditional Chinese medicine clinics for public benefit.Strengthen the construction of national TCM epidemic prevention and control bases and TCM emergency medical rescue bases, and establish a number of regional TCM epidemic prevention and control and TCM emergency medical rescue bases. Establish 20–30 provincial TCM centers for the prevention and treatment of major diseases and centers for the inheritance of TCM classics, ensuring that TCM treatments for acute severe pancreatitis, diabetes and its complications, tumors, AIDS, pulmonary fibrosis, and other conditions reach nationally leading levels.Establish 1–2 National Centers for Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine. Develop a number of national and provincial “flagship” hospitals, departments, and primary healthcare institutions specializing in integrated traditional and Western medicine. Encourage the conversion of general and specialized hospitals into TCM or integrated traditional and Western medicine hospitals at corresponding levels. Implement 1–3 national and 10–20 provincial pilot projects for clinical collaboration in the treatment of major diseases using integrated traditional and Western medicine, and research and implement major initiatives for Western medical practitioners to study TCM.Leveraging existing resources, we will establish the Sichuan Tibetan Medicine Hospital, the Tibetan and Qiang Medicine Hospital, and the Yi Medicine Hospital. We will comprehensively advance the development of ethnic medicine hospitals and fully leverage the distinctive strengths of ethnic medicine. By 2025, the annual volume of TCM consultations across the province will increase by 40% to reach 210 million visits, with TCM services becoming more balanced and accessible.
4. Build a well-integrated industrial structure. Establish a number of high-quality Sichuan-produced medicinal herb seed and seedling breeding bases, standardized cultivation demonstration bases, modern primary processing and warehousing/logistics centers for medicinal herbs, and modern agricultural (forestry) parks for medicinal herbs. Cultivate medicinal herb industry clusters, fostering two major medicinal herb varieties with an annual full-industry-chain output value exceeding 5 billion yuan and at least three reaching 2 billion yuan, striving to achieve a comprehensive output value of 150 billion yuan for medicinal herbs.Advance the digital and intelligent transformation of the TCM pharmaceutical industry, accelerate its transformation and upgrading, encourage strategic reorganization among TCM pharmaceutical enterprises to create “industry leaders,” and promote the market launch of competitive intelligent TCM equipment.We will improve the comprehensive system for the protection and utilization of intellectual property rights in traditional Chinese medicine, build regional public brands and well-known corporate brands across the entire industry, and secure a number of high-value patents in the pharmaceutical sector. We will cultivate 20 leading enterprises with an annual output value exceeding 1 billion yuan each, and strive to ensure that the main business revenue of the traditional Chinese medicine industry accounts for more than 40% of the total main business revenue of the pharmaceutical industry. We will support local governments and traditional Chinese medicine hospitals in establishing hubs for traditional Chinese medicine health services or industrial clusters. We will strengthen provincial and municipal-level centers for preventive healthcare and regional traditional Chinese medicine rehabilitation centers.Strengthen the integrated and innovative development of the TCM health service sector and the cultural and tourism industries. Develop diverse TCM-themed leisure resorts, scenic areas, and renowned TCM health tourism streets and towns. Aim to establish 40 high-end TCM health tourism bases and designate a number of TCM health tourism model counties, with a focus on building a new provincial development framework for TCM health tourism centered on “one core and four zones.”Focus on competitive sports to provide TCM treatment and rehabilitation, and conduct R&D on TCM functional beverages and health supplements for combating fatigue; train a large number of TCM sports technicians to guide the public in scientific fitness.
(2) Establish “Three Hubs.”
5. Establish a hub for scientific and technological innovation. Include basic research in the field of TCM as a key area of support under the Sichuan Provincial Natural Science Foundation. Make effective use of the TCM R&D risk-sharing fund. Pilot “open challenges” for key varieties and projects to tackle critical research tasks.Strengthen evidence-based capacity building in TCM and conduct high-level evidence-based research. Pilot the establishment of integrated innovation teams and dual-appointment systems between medical institutions and universities to promote the integration and chain-based development of clinical, basic, and translational TCM research. Encourage medical institutions to conduct clinical trials of Chinese herbal medicines. Establish a three-tiered (provincial, municipal, and county) technical extension service system for Chinese herbal medicines. Take the lead in formulating a set of international standards and participate in research on foreign botanical and herbal pharmacopoeia standards.Strengthen the construction of key laboratories jointly established by the province and ministries, including the National Key Laboratory of Southwest Characteristic Traditional Chinese Medicine Resources, the National Center for Inheritance and Innovation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the National Clinical Research Base for Traditional Chinese Medicine, and key laboratories focused on TCM regulation of metabolic diseases, as well as the quality of herbal materials and innovative TCM research. Advance the development of provincial-level engineering research centers on the formation principles and quality evaluation of authentic medicinal materials, and strive to establish a National Clinical Medical Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine.Cultivate national third-party TCM research platforms. Strengthen the development of the Provincial Center for Translational Medicine in Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Institute of Health Industry Technology at Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Establish the TCM Incubation Park at Tianfu Chinese Medicine City. Develop a range of health products using ingredients such as Sichuan pepper, Chuanxiong, Ophiopogon, black plum, Sichuan ginseng, and Sichuan fritillary bulb, and facilitate their approval for market entry. Intensify research on innovative technologies for endangered medicinal plants and animals and their substitutes.
6. Build a Talent Hub. Make the ability to diagnose and treat diseases effectively the primary criteria for evaluating TCM practitioners, and explore the implementation of categorized evaluations. Reform and improve professional title evaluation methods by establishing a separate category for senior TCM professional titles at the grassroots level, with targeted evaluation and deployment. Select and cultivate a group of high-level TCM talents, focusing on nurturing candidates for the Academy of Sciences and provincial-level “Qihuang Scholars,” and fostering a cohort of leaders in national and provincial key disciplines of TCM and herbal medicine.Accelerate the cultivation of top-tier, interdisciplinary TCM innovation talent and teams with multidisciplinary backgrounds. Encourage universities, research institutes, TCM hospitals, and TCM enterprises to recruit high-level talent and TCM research teams from outside the province, including academicians, National Masters of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and nationally (or provincially) renowned TCM practitioners. By 2025, the number of high-level TCM professionals will increase by 40%, reaching 15,000.Advance the “Double First-Class” initiative at Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine; develop apprenticeship-based education spanning undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels in higher education institutions; pilot a nine-year integrated TCM and Western medicine education program; establish 50 first-class courses; and introduce more than 60 educational reform achievements. Strengthen the development of standardized training bases, inheritance studios for renowned TCM practitioners, and master craftsman studios.Advance the upgrade of Sichuan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine to a bachelor’s degree-granting institution and establish Sichuan Vocational College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. By 2025, the province will annually train over 6,000 full-time TCM professionals at the associate, bachelor’s, and graduate levels, and cultivate 5,000 inheritors of academic experience and herbal medicine processing techniques, providing a solid talent foundation for the high-quality development of TCM.
7. Build a Cultural Hub. Relying on provincial research institutions, establish platforms for the research and inheritance of TCM culture to explore and pass down the essence of Sichuan-style TCM culture. Enhance the development of the Research Institute of Excavated Medical Literature and Cultural Relics of China, strengthen the research and application of excavated TCM documents and artifacts such as the “Tianhui Medical Bamboo Slips,” and publish research findings including *The Tianhui Medical Bamboo Slips*.Implement the “Selected Works of the Medical Forest” project in the Ba-Shu region, conduct research on the compilation of *One Hundred Classics of Traditional Chinese Medicine*, and establish a database of ancient TCM texts and literature. Strengthen the compilation of academic experience from renowned senior TCM experts of the Sichuan School and the inheritance of traditional skills from veteran herbalists of the “Sichuan Guild,” implementing digital and audiovisual recording and preservation. Promote the inclusion of a number of Sichuan TCM projects in the national and provincial lists of representative intangible cultural heritage for protection. Fully integrate TCM culture into the science popularization system of basic education.We will promote the development of the Provincial Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine into a first-class museum nationwide. We will establish 60 provincial-level TCM cultural education and outreach bases and create national-level TCM cultural education and outreach bases. We will promote the effective integration of TCM with animation, catering, and performing arts, and develop TCM cultural and creative products. We will create a number of immersive experience zones, including TCM cultural streets, cultural squares, and theme parks.By 2025, the public’s health literacy regarding TCM will be raised to 30%, the普及率 of TCM health knowledge will reach 98%, and the consensus on trusting, cherishing, and utilizing TCM will be more widespread.Strengthen the opening up and exchange of TCM culture, making TCM a key component of external exchange platforms such as Sichuan’s international sister-city cooperation and the Sichuan-Hong Kong-Macao Cooperation Week. Establish a joint mechanism among the “Five Overseas Chinese Affairs” departments to promote the “going global” of TCM, and build the Sichuan Provincial International Exchange Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine. Launch overseas TCM services for overseas Chinese and the “Health Tourism + International Medical Care” initiative, establish overseas remote medical stations for overseas Chinese, and advance the high-quality development of overseas TCM centers. Enhance the international influence of Sichuan’s TCM and strengthen the construction of the National TCM Service Export Base.
(3) Implement the “Two Major Projects” for Characteristic Development.
8. Implement the Project for Coordinated Regional Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Promote the deep integration and coordinated development of the province’s TCM industry, establish a “One Axis, Two Zones, Two Belts” framework for coordinated regional development of the TCM industry, and transform the advantages of TCM resources into economic advantages.Promote the integrated development of TCM within the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle; strengthen the Alliance for High-Quality Development of Authentic Medicinal Materials in the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle and the joint construction of the Sichuan-Chongqing Key Laboratory for Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases; vigorously develop internet-based TCM medical services; and enhance joint research and interpretation of TCM culture.We will promote the establishment of alliances with Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, and Hainan in areas such as TCM hospitals, key specialties, authentic medicinal materials, TCM enterprises, and epidemic prevention and control, to share resources in healthcare, talent, research, industry, and culture. We will strengthen the development of the Wumeng Mountains TCM Inheritance and Innovation Alliance, advance the joint development of TCM health tourism and TCM hospitals between Sichuan and Hainan, leverage the Hainan Free Trade Port to promote the development of TCM trade, and establish the Fangchenggang Industrial Technology Branch of the Sichuan Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine.Deepen cooperation and exchanges in TCM between Sichuan, Hong Kong, and Macao; strengthen the dissemination and exchange of TCM culture; conduct joint scientific research on TCM; and promote the registration and sale of Sichuan-produced medicinal herbs and products in Hong Kong and Macao.
9. Implement the Project for the Coordinated Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Herbal Medicine. Engage hospitals, universities, research institutes, TCM enterprises, and industry associations to establish a coordinated advancement mechanism featuring collaborative efforts across all levels and sectors, aligned efforts in production, research, application, and regulation, and the simultaneous promotion of both TCM and herbal medicine.Strengthen quality and safety supervision of Chinese herbal materials, prepared herbal slices, and Chinese medicine formulations in medical institutions; promote enterprises’ fulfillment of their primary responsibilities as marketing authorization holders; establish a dynamic monitoring and information service platform for Chinese medicine resources; and build quality monitoring centers and third-party testing platforms for Chinese medicine. Establish and improve a long-term regulatory mechanism tailored to the characteristics of prepared herbal slices.Strengthen the development of standard systems for traditional Chinese medicine (including ethnic medicine). Implement the demonstration project for full-industry-chain management norms and quality standard upgrades for Sichuan-produced authentic medicinal materials. Develop a recommended catalog of fresh-cut authentic medicinal materials from Sichuan and guidelines for fresh-cut processing. Promote the systematic establishment of standards for seeds and seedlings of single-species medicinal materials, standards for medicinal materials and decoction pieces, and technical specifications for integrated on-site fresh processing and preparation.Strengthen the development of traceability systems, continue to advance the construction of pilot counties for medicinal material traceability, and encourage the establishment of end-to-end traceability systems from the field to the point of use. Establish a quality grading evaluation system for TCM decoction pieces. Create incentive mechanisms for medical institutions to use high-quality authentic medicinal materials.Encourage TCM enterprises and TCM hospitals to innovate in the supply of high-quality medicinal materials through “customized medicinal gardens.” Establish and improve internal operational mechanisms that leverage distinctive strengths, focusing on quality control, disease management, performance evaluation, and professional title promotion.Vigorously develop “Sichuan herbal medicine”-based health beverages, cosmetics, health supplements, as well as veterinary Chinese medicines and Chinese herbal feed additives, to promote the comprehensive utilization of Sichuan-produced Chinese herbal materials and non-traditional medicinal parts. Advance pilot projects for food-medicine substances such as Gastrodia elata, Dendrobium officinale, and Ganoderma lucidum, and promote the inclusion of more Chinese herbal materials with established dietary traditions into local food safety standards. Promote the integrated development of Sichuan herbal medicine with Sichuan tea, fruits, and liquor, fostering a large-scale industry of traditional Chinese medicine wellness with Sichuan characteristics.
III. Organizational Guarantees
(1) Strengthen Organizational Leadership. Leverage the role of the Provincial Leading Group for Advancing the National Comprehensive Reform Demonstration Zone for Traditional Chinese Medicine and Building a Strong Province in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Establish mechanisms for leading group meetings, interdepartmental coordination, expert consultation, and annual performance evaluation to form a multi-departmental, multi-level, and comprehensive synergy for promoting the construction of the demonstration zone.
(2) Strengthen the Implementation of Responsibilities. All localities and departments (units) shall formulate relevant policies, measures, and implementation plans based on their assigned tasks. Priority should be given to piloting initiatives in cities (prefectures), counties (cities, districts) that possess the necessary foundations and conditions to ensure that all deployments are effectively implemented and yield tangible results.
(3) Strengthen Evaluation and Assessment. Research and formulate evaluation, assessment, and information disclosure systems for the construction of the demonstration zone; strengthen dynamic monitoring, follow-up analysis, and supervision and inspection of major projects and initiatives. Introduce a third-party evaluation mechanism to organize and conduct evaluation and analysis at different stages of the demonstration zone’s construction.
