NW China province provides TCM assistance to Moldova

A panel of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) experts from Northwest China's Gansu province left for Moldova Tuesday, starting their two-year aid efforts in the country, local authorities said on Wednesday.

The panel consists of four experts who were selected from the TCM colleges and hospitals in Gansu and an interpreter, according to the provincial health and family planning commission.

The experts will provide TCM training and some specific therapies, such as acupuncture and cupping, to people in Moldova.

They are expected to diagnose 15,000 patients in the country over the following two years, said Li Jintian, the president of Gansu University of Chinese Medicine.

Home to abundant raw materials used in Chinese herbal medicine, Gansu is one of the country's largest production bases for TCM, with a long history in the province.

In the past three years, the province has focused on training TCM practitioners in foreign language to promote Chinese medicine among countries and regions along the Belt and Road.

So far, Gansu has helped set up seven TCM colleges and three TCM centers in several countries along the route, such as Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan.

The Belt and Road Initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which were proposed by China in 2013 with the aim of reviving the ancient trade routes. The network passes through more than 60 countries and regions with a total population of 4.4 billion.