Officials and experts have called for greater international collaboration on traditional medicine, stressing its importance "amid the current global state of affairs where diseases pose daunting challenges for mankind".

The remarks were made at the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Forum on Traditional Medicine and Industry Conference held on Thursday in Nanchang, Jiangxi province.

Fazeel Najeeb, the Maldives' ambassador to China, said traditional Chinese medicine has gained global recognition in recent decades, with many countries now regulating and licensing practitioners.

He cited estimates suggesting there are hundreds of accredited TCM schools worldwide — particularly in North America, Europe, and Australia — as well as thousands of licensed clinics. In the United States alone, he said, there are more than 100 accredited schools and hundreds of clinics offering acupuncture and herbal medicine.

Najeeb called for SCO member states and multilateral organisations such as the World Health Organization to work more closely together.

"Deepening international cooperation in the traditional medicine industry for win-win development is crucial," he said.

Huang Luqi, deputy director of China's National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, described traditional medicine as a "key bond" within the SCO community.

He said that China has issued joint statements with nine countries, including Kyrgyzstan and Belarus, and that eight Chinese patent medicines were successfully registered in Belarus this month.

Huang urged member states to expand cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Cui Li, vice-chair of the SCO's Good-Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission, said the forum had become an important platform for people-to-people exchange and health collaboration following the organization's Tianjin summit.

She proposed four initiatives: expanding TCM services across SCO member countries, fostering innovation through exchange, training young practitioners, and embedding traditional medicine into global health governance.

The opening ceremony also marked the launch of a digital information-sharing platform on traditional medicine, which organisers described as a "key step" toward cooperation in the digital age.

Mohammed Ghassan Mohamed Adnan Shaikho, Bahrain's ambassador to China, outlined his country's efforts to integrate traditional medicine into its modern healthcare system. Bahrain, he added, looked forward to forging partnerships that could advance the development of traditional medicine.

"We must find ways to maintain this momentum, perhaps by creating channels for experts, regulators, and practitioners to keep collaborating long after this forum concludes," he said.

Jiangxi Governor Ye Jianchun said in his speech that the province, designated a national pilot zone for TCM reform, has been advancing both healthcare and industry.

He said Jiangxi has built 25 national specialist centers, more than 2,200 institutions, and a digital network linking urban and rural areas. The province aims to expand the sector to more than 150 billion yuan by 2026.

Ye added that Jiangxi has attracted 66 SCO-related projects worth more than 38 billion yuan, and has established overseas TCM centers in countries including Bulgaria.

According to China's National Health Commission, acupuncture is now recognized in 113 World Health Organization member states, and TCM has spread to 196 countries and regions worldwide.