The 5th China-ASEAN Health Cooperation Forum, held in Nanning under the theme “Towards the Silk Road of Health,” brought together health ministers and officials from ASEAN, Chinese medical associations and World Health Organization representatives to advance cooperation on public health, digital healthcare, biomedical innovation and regional responses to large-scale health challenges. The event also featured the inauguration of the China-ASEAN Health Cooperation Center to support ongoing collaboration.
Hosted by the National Health Commission of China, the People’s Government of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and the National Administration for Disease Control and Prevention, the forum attracted delegates from ASEAN health ministries, Chinese medical associations and WHO representatives. Discussions focused on strengthening ties between China and ASEAN in health policy, technology and services.
T. R. Midhoon, Deputy Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, reported on outcomes from a recent SCO summit in Tianjin and highlighted the SCO Development Strategy through 2035. He said the strategy calls for deeper cooperation and information exchange in public health, and for promoting the development of digital healthcare, telemedicine and traditional medicine across member states.
Midhoon emphasized the importance of biomedical innovation, including new medicines, organoid technologies and the digitalization of medical services, as responses to citizens’ demands for improved quality of life and better health outcomes. He proposed enhanced collaboration with relevant international and regional organizations, including ASEAN, to tackle major health challenges affecting Eurasia and Southeast Asia.
Within the forum program, organizers held the opening ceremony for the China-ASEAN Health Cooperation Center. The new center is intended to serve as a platform for joint initiatives, coordination and information-sharing to deepen health cooperation between China and ASEAN countries.
