China has announced plans to promote traditional Chinese medicine abroad, setting up 30 new clinics in the next decade.

It plans to pool the resources of some of China's most prestigious hospitals and biggest medicine companies.

The plan is designed to enable China to share its expertise in a field which has grown in popularity, particularly in many Western countries, in recent years.

Chinese medical specialists will help train staff and run the clinics, which are to be jointly funded by the Chinese government and local bodies.

During the last decade tens of thousands of students have come to China to train as practitioners and increasing numbers of Chinese doctors have found their skills in demand abroad.

Speaking in Beijing, China's Deputy Prime Minister, Li Lanqing, encouraged Chinese doctors to make a greater contribution to the health of the world's people.

But the plans for international expansion also have an economic motive. The official China Daily newspaper said the scheme was designed to help Chinese companies expand their share of the world health market, from $600m a year to around $2 billion within a decade.

One British university has already announced plans to begin a full-time degree course in Chinese medicine.

But there are still concerns over the lack of regulation governing the practice of Chinese medicine in many countries. China will be hoping this new scheme will help to cure some of those anxieties.
 

Back to top | BBC News Home | BBC Homepage	©