The Fangchenggang International Medical Opening-up Pilot Zone (China) Strategic Dialogue Conference is held in Nanning on Sept 23. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Fangchenggang International Medical Opening-up Pilot Zone (China) Strategic Dialogue Conference was held in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on Sept 23, with 260 government leaders and experts from cities across China and ASEAN countries conducting discussions on medical development.

Hosted by the Guangxi Health Commission, the Foreign Affairs Office of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the China-ASEAN Expo Secretariat, and Fangchenggang municipal people's government, the conference carried out three dialogues regarding building a community of shared humanity, promoting SCO-ASEAN Medical Opening-up and Development, as well as promoting exchanges and cooperation in traditional Asian medicine.

Li Yanqiang, Party secretary of Fangchenggang, speaks at the conference. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Li Yanqiang, Party secretary of Fangchenggang, said at the conference that the city is a southbound gateway of the Belt and Road, as well as an important node city of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in West China. He expressed hopes that domestic and foreign think tank experts will contribute more wisdom and advice to promoting high-level planning and high quality construction of the Fangchenggang International Medical Opening-up Pilot Zone.

Fang Chunming, vice chairman of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, said that Guangxi is willing to cooperate with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), ASEAN, as well as other countries, regions, and organizations to strengthen cooperation in the field of healthcare and promote exchanges and cooperation. He proposed three initiatives, including accelerating the construction of the medical pilot zone, promoting the cooperation between SCO and ASEAN, as well as working together to build a community of shared humanity.

Phouthone Muongpak, deputy director of the Laos Ministry of Health, expected to strengthen medical cooperation with China and further improve the country's medical level through the training platform of the Fangchenggang International Medical Opening-up Pilot Zone.

Thean Ming Fatt, director of the Ministry of Health Malaysia, suggested that China and Malaysia should strengthen humanities cooperation, as well as further consolidate and develop mutual trust, strengthening cooperation in traditional Chinese medicine to promote the development of traditional Chinese and Malaysian medicine innovation, strengthen marine pharmaceutical research, and improve the level of marine biopharmaceutical development.

Government officials and industry experts attend the conference to conduct dialogues. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]