SCM hosts the 2023 HK Summit of Quality Control of Valuable Chinese Medicines

2 November 2023

The School of Chinese Medicine (SCM) and HK Authentication Centre of Valuable Chinese Medicines jointly organised the 2023 HK Summit of Quality Control of Valuable Chinese Medicines at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) campus on 29 October. The Summit attracted approximately 200 participants from the Government departments, Chinese medicine industry and academia.

The Summit featured six insightful lectures by distinguished scholars and experts from the Government departments, industry and academia, sharing the systematic work on the quality control of Chinese medicines by the Government, as well as the quality evaluation and scientific research on valuable Chinese medicines by the industry and academia. The topics cover the Hong Kong Centre for the Whole Industry Chain of Traditional Chinese Medicine; Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute, Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards, and Survey on Chinese Medicinal Resources; Chinese Medicines Quality Control Monitoring System of the Hospital Authority; Hong Kong Certification Scheme for Chinese Materia Medica and Decoction Pieces; quality evaluation on Cordyceps driven by the market, as well as chemical analysis of valuable Chinese medicines.

At the Summit, Dr. Ko Wing-man, member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and of the Executive Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), explained the origins of the "Alliance for the Promotion of Collaborative Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry in Hunan, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau". The Alliance's development and engagement in Hong Kong is coordinated by the "Hong Kong Centre for the Whole Industry Chain of Traditional Chinese Medicine". This strategic Alliance aims to establish four developmental collaboration centres, which will focus on crucial aspects of the industry, including the cultivation, industrialisation, research innovation, and commercial circulation of traditional Chinese medicinal materials. Dr. Ko highlighted the distinctive advantage Hong Kong holds under the “one country, two systems” framework. He pointed out, "We have laid a robust foundation for the internationalisation of traditional Chinese medicine. Consequently, Hong Kong has embraced the responsibility to create a dynamic trading platform for Chinese medicinal materials. Our goal is to synergise with the traditional Chinese medicine sector on the Mainland, promoting the international presence of traditional Chinese medicine."

Addressing at the Opening Ceremony, Professor Jia Wei, Acting Dean of Chinese Medicine, stated that in response to the three major requirements of modern medicine—safety, efficacy, and quality control—SCM has cultivated plenty of talents in the field of Chinese medicine quality control in recent years, with high regards received from different sectors of society. To this end, the Summit is held to foster communications and collaborations among the Government departments, industry and academia, aiming to further advance the standardisation and internationalisation of traditional Chinese medicine.

29 Oct 29 Oct

From left to right:

  • Dr. Qian Zhengming from HEC Group
  • Dr. Zhao Wei from Hong Kong Productivity Council
  • Mr. Timothy Yung from Hospital Authority
  • Dr. Edmund Fong from Department of Health, HKSAR
  • Professor Jia Wei from School of Chinese Medicine, HKBU
  • Dr. Ko Wing-man from Executive Council, HKSAR
  • Professor Zhao Zhongzhen from Department of Health, HKSAR and School of Chinese Medicine, HKBU
  • Professor Han Quanbin from School of Chinese Medicine, HKBU