A medical university in Shanghai will cooperate with the Public Health Ministry of Thailand on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in production, research and personnel training.

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According to an agreement signed in Shanghai on Friday, the two sides will share the latest medical information and developments, and promote exchanges of teachers, students and experts, said a spokesman for the Shanghai University of TCM.

Thailand will offer degree education on TCM, and students of the two countries can obtain two degrees from the educational authorities of both China and Thailand, the agreement says.

The Shanghai university and Thailand health ministry will set up a joint committee to coordinate the health cooperation, and the committee will hold regular academic conferences every year, according to the agreement.

The Shanghai University of TCM was founded in 1956. It has a faculty and staff member of 5,000 people.

TCM is arousing more and more interest from outside China these days.

The industry of TCM, with an output value of nearly 81.026 billion yuan (10.125 billion US dollars), made up more than a quarter of China's overall medical industry in 2005.

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