Development of traditional Chinese medicine in Arab countries: present status and suggestions in the background of Belt and Road Initiative

Abstract

Arab countries have long tradition of using traditional medicine which enjoys mass foundation among local people. Recently, China's import and export trade of traditional medicine products with Arab countries showed an increasing trend year by year. With the implementation of the Belt and Road Strategy, Arab countries played a more important role in China’s foreign trade. With the aim of promoting the spread of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in Arab countries, cooperation with relevant countries shall be differentiated. The Gulf region is economically advanced with its people enjoying prosperity, where is suitable for developing TCM product and service trade. The Levant has strong advantages in traditional medicine research, where academic communication shall be frequented. Countries in north Africa enjoy profound traditional friendship with China, where are suitable for dispatching Chinese foreign aid medical team to promote TCM. Meanwhile, we are supposed to take advantage of Confucius Institute and Chinese culture centers as platforms to spread TCM culture, to strengthen cooperation with medical universities and research institutions in the target countries, to enroll more Arab students to study TCM, to develop international standard Chinese-Arabic basic nomenclature of Chinese Medicine, and to carry out Traditional Arabic & Islamic Medicine researches. Key words: Belt and Road Initiative; Arab countries; Traditional medicine; Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM); Traditional Arabic & Islamic medicine(TAIM)