Enhancing Global Medical Collaboration and Advancing Shared Development through Inclusive Exchange
On 26 November, the 3rd International Medical Innovation and Cooperation Forum was held in Fangchenggang, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. The forum, themed “Strengthening Medical Opening-up and Cooperation, Building a Future of Health for Mankind”, brought together over 400 attendees, including medical and health officials, industry experts, and representatives from businesses and organizations within the medical and healthcare sectors. The participants came from member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and ASEAN countries, contributing to a dynamic exchange of ideas and collaboration.
The Forum’s objective is to further enhance the regional, diversified, integrated, and sustainable cooperation framework, solidifying its role as a bridge for communication and interaction among countries engaged in China’s Belt and Road Initiative and SCO member states. Leveraging the strength of the SCO and ASEAN, it seeks to broaden global medical innovation and cooperation, optimize the allocation of medical resources, and elevate the global healthcare standard. This will enable individuals from all backgrounds to access affordable, top-quality, and internationally standardized healthcare services.
Cui Li, Vice President of the Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission (GNFCC) of the SCO, said that the forum has evolved into a crucial platform for China to engage in humanitarian medical exchanges and innovative partnerships with SCO and ASEAN nations. The GNFCC is committed to furthering cooperation in the fields of medicine and healthcare among SCO member countries. Its objectives include sharing knowledge and expertise related to international medical open pilot zones, promoting cooperation in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, enhancing information sharing and collaborative research, providing training for healthcare professionals, and playing a key role in advancing the quality of global health and wellness initiatives.
The forum featured an opening ceremony, keynote speeches, workshops, and a closing ceremony. The opening event saw the signing of 25 project contracts, each representing a collaboration between a Chinese province or city, among them, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Beijing, and Shanghai, and a foreign country, including Hungary, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. The projects spanned pharmaceutical production, traditional medicine, food safety and nutritional health, with a combined investment of 21.9 billion yuan.