Traditional Chinese Medicine, as the crystallization of the wisdom of the Chinese nation for thousands of years, is not only a unique medical system, but also a profound understanding of life and health in Chinese civilization. It is not only a treasure in the treasure trove of traditional Chinese culture, but also the most complete and continuously inherited traditional medical system in the world today. As early as the 6th to 8th century AD, traditional Chinese medicine had already spread eastward to Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and other places, giving birth to systems such as Chinese herbal medicine, Korean medicine, and Eastern medicine, deeply influencing the pattern of Eastern medicine. In history, traditional Chinese medicine has made unique contributions to the diplomatic cause of New China. For example, in 1962, a Chinese medical team successfully treated Indonesian President Sukarno with traditional Chinese medicine, winning international acclaim.

In the new era, with the promotion of the "the Belt and Road" initiative, Chinese medicine has been given a new mission - it is not only a symbol of China's soft power, but also an important carrier to promote mutual learning among civilizations and build a healthy sector of the "Silk Road". Cao Hongxin, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, proposed the concept of "traditional Chinese medicine diplomacy", advocating the practical effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine in preventing and treating diseases, promoting the globalization of traditional Chinese medicine, promoting the dissemination of Chinese culture, and enhancing the country's cultural soft power. In this context, we cordially invite Professor He Zhenquan from Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine to explore in depth how traditional Chinese medicine can use diplomacy as a bridge to achieve international dissemination and cultural dialogue.

He Zhenquan, a professor at Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, is an academic master's supervisor specializing in the integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine. His research focuses on traditional Chinese neuroscience and human fascia. Concurrently serving

Vice Chairman of the Sub Health Branch of the Central China Medical Association and other positions. Engaged in research and teaching of human anatomy and meridians for 35 years, and has won the Guangdong Province Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Progress Award. Hosted and participated in multiple national level projects, leading the research on "Three dimensional Reconstruction of Chinese Virtual Human Meridians" in China and exploring the theory of meridian fascia. He has edited over ten monographs, including "New Interpretation of the Essence of the Meridian in the Human Fascial System," and published more than thirty medical popular science works, dedicated to promoting the modernization and scientific popularization of traditional Chinese medicine.

In this issue of 'Ningdian Interview', Professor He Zhenquan is invited to share his practices and thoughts on the international dissemination of traditional Chinese medicine and the theme of 'traditional Chinese medicine diplomacy', focusing on meridian research, digitalization of traditional Chinese medicine, and cross-cultural communication, exploring how traditional Chinese medicine can become a bridge for cultural exchange and mutual learning.

Hello Professor He! Thank you very much for accepting the interview with Qingqiao magazine. As an expert who has been deeply involved in the field of traditional Chinese medicine for more than 30 years, you have made remarkable achievements in meridian research, digitalization of traditional Chinese medicine, and international dissemination. In recent years, "traditional Chinese medicine diplomacy" has gradually become an important path for the internationalization and cultural dissemination of traditional Chinese medicine. Could you please talk about your understanding of the concept of "traditional Chinese medicine diplomacy" and what its core elements are?

Professor He Zhenquan: Hello! I am delighted to share my thoughts on the internationalization of traditional Chinese medicine with the readers of Qingqiao. The concept of "Traditional Chinese Medicine Diplomacy", in my understanding, refers to a cross-cultural exchange and medical cooperation mechanism based on traditional Chinese medicine. It is not only an international extension of the value of traditional Chinese medicine itself, but also an important manifestation of the soft power of Chinese culture. Unlike the political attributes of traditional diplomacy, traditional Chinese medicine diplomacy has more "flexible" characteristics - it uses "health and well-being" as a common language, and builds trust bridges between countries and civilizations through medical practice, cultural dissemination, scientific research cooperation, and other means.

Its core elements can be summarized into four aspects:

The first is the cultural core: Traditional Chinese Medicine is the "living carrier" of excellent Chinese traditional culture, and its philosophical ideas of "unity of heaven and man" and "balance of yin and yang", as well as the theory of meridians, qi and blood, are essentially the unique understanding of the laws of life in Chinese civilization. This cultural depth determines that traditional Chinese medicine diplomacy is not only about medical exchanges, but also about cultural dialogue.

The second is medical value: cultural dissemination that is detached from clinical efficacy is a castle in the air. The unique advantages of traditional Chinese medicine in chronic disease management, sub-health regulation, and auxiliary treatment of difficult and complicated diseases, as well as the preventive medicine concept of "preventing diseases before they occur", are the hardcore support for its ability to overcome cultural differences. Traditional Chinese medicine is unique in the world of traditional medicine, with profound cultural heritage and a complete medical system. It provides new treatment ideas and methods for the global medical system.

The third is the international cooperation mechanism: Chinese medicine diplomacy needs systematic institutional guarantee, including the formulation of international standards (such as the ISO Chinese medicine standard), bilateral/multilateral medical cooperation agreements (such as the construction of the "the Belt and Road" Chinese medicine center), scientific research data sharing platform, etc.

Finally, there is humanistic empathy: Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes the "compassion of doctors", which has a unique infectious power in international aid and public health cooperation. For example, during the COVID-19 in 2020, the Chinese foreign aid medical team took part in local treatment with Chinese medicine, which not only provided medical support, but also conveyed the concept of "human health community".

You mentioned that traditional Chinese medicine is a combination of "cultural carrier" and "medical tool". So, in practice, how does the modernization and internationalization of traditional Chinese medicine specifically serve the cultural exchange and soft power construction between countries? What practical role has it played in today's international relations?

Professor He Zhenquan: The modernization and internationalization of traditional Chinese medicine are mutually reinforcing "two wheel drive". Modernization provides scientific support for internationalization, while internationalization injects practical impetus into modernization, both serving cultural exchange and soft power construction together.

From the perspective of cultural exchange, the internationalization process of traditional Chinese medicine is essentially a concrete practice of Chinese culture "going global". For example, the "Chinese Virtual Human Meridian 3D Reconstruction System" developed by our team visualizes abstract meridian theories through digital technology, allowing overseas scholars to intuitively understand the relationship between "acupoints organs qi and blood". This "technology+culture" display method is more easily accepted than pure theoretical lectures. For example, the promotion of tea therapy culture not only spreads the health wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine that "medicine and food share the same origin", but also drives the international dissemination of tea culture and tea ceremony aesthetics, becoming an important link in people to people diplomacy.

At the level of soft power construction, traditional Chinese medicine provides a unique "health card" for shaping the country's image. Unlike traditional hard power, traditional Chinese medicine embodies China's philosophy of "harmony, coexistence, and symbiosis" - it does not seek to replace other medical systems, but advocates for "complementary integration". This inclusiveness has gained widespread recognition in the international community, such as the inclusion of traditional medicine in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) by the World Health Organization, which is an authoritative recognition of the value of traditional Chinese medicine and a reflection of a country's cultural soft power.

The practical role in international relations can be viewed from three dimensions:

From the perspective of public health cooperation, traditional Chinese medicine has become an important participant in global health governance. By 2025, China has jointly established 56 traditional Chinese medicine centers overseas, providing "Chinese solutions" in areas such as malaria prevention and control in Africa and damp heat disease regulation in Southeast Asia.

From the perspective of people to people diplomatic ties: Through international education in traditional Chinese medicine (such as overseas Chinese medicine colleges and short-term training courses), a group of overseas practitioners who are "knowledgeable about China and friendly to China" have been trained. I have come into contact with many foreign traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, who are not only disseminators of traditional Chinese medicine, but also "ambassadors" for cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries.

From the perspective of crisis response collaboration: In sudden public events such as earthquakes and epidemics, the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine in terms of simplicity, convenience, affordability, and efficacy are highlighted. For example, in the earthquake rescue in Türkiye in 2023, the traditional Chinese medicine sachets and acupuncture and moxibustion needles carried with them provided quick analgesia and tranquilizing solutions for the disaster areas. This "small and beautiful" form of assistance effectively enhanced the international community's goodwill towards China.

In the process of promoting traditional Chinese medicine to the world, cultural differences and cognitive barriers are unavoidable challenges. Based on your observation, what are the main misunderstandings or barriers to the dissemination of traditional Chinese medicine internationally?

Professor He Zhenquan: Indeed, the internationalization of traditional Chinese medicine still faces the dual challenges of "cognitive gap" and "institutional barriers". From the perspective of misunderstandings, the three most prominent points are:

Firstly, there is the stereotype of "scientific controversy": some Western scholars equate traditional Chinese medicine with "empirical medicine" and question its theoretical basis (such as the materiality of meridians). This misunderstanding stems from the difference in philosophical systems between traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine - traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes "overall dynamic balance", while Western medicine focuses on "micro empirical evidence". The cognitive logic of the two is different, but not contradictory.

In fact, it is an excessive concern about "safety risks": due to the complexity of some traditional Chinese medicine ingredients and individual cases of illegal addition of Western medicine ingredients, there is a lack of trust in the safety of traditional Chinese medicine overseas. In fact, through modern technologies such as standardized planting (GAP) and fingerprint quality control, the quality controllability of traditional Chinese medicine has been greatly improved.

In addition, there are obstacles to the acceptance of "cultural heterogeneity": overseas people lack cultural context for concepts such as "yin and yang, five elements" and "qi, blood, body fluids", which are easily regarded as "mysticism". For example, in Europe, some people mistake acupuncture and moxibustion for "mysterious ritual", rather than physical therapy based on neurohumoral regulation.

And communication barriers come more from institutional and practical levels:

For example, inconsistent regulatory standards: there are significant differences in the regulation of traditional Chinese medicine among countries - the European Union classifies traditional Chinese medicine as a "traditional herb" that requires strict registration and approval; The US FDA requires traditional Chinese medicine to be declared as "dietary supplements" or "new drugs", with the former limiting efficacy claims and the latter being costly. This fragmented regulatory system has increased the difficulty of traditional Chinese medicine going global.

At the same time, there is a shortage of professional talents: compound talents who understand both traditional Chinese medicine classics and modern medicine, as well as possess cross-cultural communication skills, are scarce, resulting in uneven quality of overseas traditional Chinese medicine services and affecting industry reputation.

In addition, it also includes a single mode of cultural dissemination: currently, international communication is still mainly based on "theoretical output", lacking "localized" expression that is close to local needs. For example, in the Latin American region, people are more concerned about the practicality of "natural remedies", and simply preaching the theory of the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon often yields poor results.

In the face of these challenges, where do you think is the most urgent breakthrough point to promote the "going global" of traditional Chinese medicine? What strategies can effectively promote understanding and acceptance in the international community?

Professor He Zhenquan: I believe that the breakthrough point in promoting the "going global" of traditional Chinese medicine needs to focus on the three directions of "standardization, empiricism, and localization". Specifically, efforts can be made from the following four aspects:

1、 Breaking down institutional barriers through standardization

Establish an internationally recognized quality standard system: promote the standardization of the entire process of traditional Chinese medicine cultivation, processing, and preparation, such as promoting the "DNA barcode identification technology for traditional Chinese medicine" to ensure source control; Participate in the development of ISO/TC249 international standard for traditional Chinese medicine and strive for the right to formulate rules.

Standardize clinical evaluation methods: Design clinical trial plans that are in line with the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine within the framework of evidence-based medicine. For example, for the efficacy of acupuncture and moxibustion, the "Real World Study" (RWS) method can be used to collect large samples of clinical data, rather than relying solely on randomized controlled trials (RCT).

2、 Responding to doubts about the nature of science with 'empiricism'

Strengthening the interdisciplinary research of traditional Chinese and Western medicine: My team has been engaged in long-term research on the correlation between meridians and fascia, and has found that traditional Chinese medicine "acupoints" are mostly located in the stress concentration area of fascia. Acupuncture can regulate body function through the "fascia nerve immune network". This type of research combining traditional Chinese medicine theory with modern anatomy can provide scientific explanations for the material basis of meridians.

Utilizing digital technology to visualize traditional Chinese medicine theory: Our collaborative development of the "Virtual Human Meridian System" has achieved dynamic simulation of acupoint positioning and qi and blood circulation. In the future, VR technology can be combined to allow overseas learners to "immerse" in understanding traditional Chinese medicine theory, which is more convincing than textual descriptions.

3、 Enhancing cultural affinity through localization

Innovative communication carrier: design differentiated content for audiences in different regions - promote "traditional Chinese medicine+modern health management" (such as acupuncture and moxibustion weight loss, stress management) in Europe and America, carry out integrated practice in Southeast Asia in combination with local traditional medicine (such as Malay traditional herbs), and focus on "low-cost, easy to operate" appropriate technologies (such as moxibustion for malaria sequelae) in Africa.

Cultivate "localized" talents: Cooperate with overseas universities to establish a "Traditional Chinese Medicine+Public Health" dual degree program, cultivate local doctors who understand both traditional Chinese medicine and local culture, and enable traditional Chinese medicine to "grow locally and serve the local community".

4、 Integrate resource strength through platformization

Build a national level Chinese medicine diplomatic platform: relying on the "the Belt and Road" initiative, establish a transnational Chinese medicine scientific research collaboration network. For example, China and Europe jointly carry out a multi center research on "acupuncture and moxibustion for chronic pain", and use internationally recognized data achievements to enhance the voice.

Encourage the participation of private forces: Support traditional Chinese medicine enterprises and academic groups to "down-to-earth" spread through international exhibitions (such as the Cologne International Health Exhibition in Germany), cultural festivals, and other channels, forming a collaborative pattern of "government guidance+market operation". I rely on the Guangdong Provincial Development Foundation for Traditional Chinese Medicine to establish a platform for TCM to go global, carry out a series of TCM to go global and TCM diplomacy work, and establish cooperation projects in ASEAN countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia. We are also actively promoting it in the Middle East, Europe, and America.

Based on your rich international exchange experience, which traditional Chinese medicine content or practical forms are more easily accepted by foreign audiences? What is the reason behind it?

Professor He Zhenquan: Based on my observations of long-term teaching, promotion, and cooperation, the forms of traditional Chinese medicine that are "light intervention, visualization, and lifestyle oriented" are the easiest to break through cultural barriers, and can be specifically divided into three categories:

1、 Non pharmacological therapy: building trust with "intuitive efficacy"

Acupuncture and moxibustion and Massage: This is the most popular Chinese medicine technology overseas. Acupuncture and moxibustion produces immediate effects (such as analgesia and antiemesis) through physical stimulation of acupoints. Its operation process is transparent, with little side effects, and it can be used in combination with modern medicine (such as postoperative rehabilitation). For example, in Germany, about 80% of pain clinics provide acupuncture and moxibustion services, and some medical insurance has covered acupuncture and moxibustion treatment.

Qigong and Tai Chi: As "active health" methods, their concept of "regulating breathing and clearing qi and blood" is highly compatible with modern "mind body medicine". The middle class in Europe and America regards it as a fashionable exercise to relieve stress and improve sub-health, and even integrates it into gym courses. This "de medicalization" transmission path has accelerated its popularity.

2、 The traditional theory of digital technology empowerment: using a "sense of technology" to dissolve mystery

Visualization of meridians and acupoints: When we demonstrated the "virtual human meridian system" overseas, many Western medical colleagues expressed that "acupoints are not abstract concepts, but functional sites related to anatomical structures." This display of "traditional theory+digital technology" greatly reduces the cognitive threshold.

AI assisted traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis: an intelligent diagnostic system based on tongue diagnosis and pulse diagnosis (such as the "Four Diagnostic Instruments of Traditional Chinese Medicine") replaces subjective descriptions with objective data (such as tongue image spectrum analysis and pulse waveform diagram), making it easier for overseas patients to understand the logic of traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment.

3、 Lifestyle oriented health culture: promoting cultural resonance with "universal values"

Tea therapy and dietary therapy: The concept of "medicine and food sharing the same origin" has global universality. When promoting "Chenpi Pu'er lipid-lowering tea" in Italy, we combined it with the local "Mediterranean cuisine" culture, emphasizing "regulating the body through daily diet". This "localization adaptation" has made people willing to try it.

Solar term health preservation and natural therapy: The traditional Chinese medicine concept of "timely health preservation" coincides with the Western concept of "natural medicine". For example, in Northern Europe, winter depression is highly prevalent, and the "Winter Solstice Moxibustion at Guanyuan Point+Sunbathing" conditioning plan can be promoted, which is widely popular due to its suitability for local climate characteristics.

The above is the form of traditional Chinese medicine that I have summarized based on practice and is more easily accepted by foreign audiences. The core reason behind this is that these forms strip away the complex theoretical shell and directly present "practicality" and "cultural beauty". Overseas audiences do not need to understand the "Yin Yang and Five Elements". They just need to experience the analgesic effect of acupuncture and moxibustion and feel the tranquil atmosphere of tea ceremony, and can intuitively experience the value of traditional Chinese medicine. This "from experience to cognition" dissemination path is more effective than simply theoretical indoctrination.

You have long been committed to the theory of meridians and fascia, as well as the popularization of traditional Chinese medicine health. You have taken the lead in conducting research on "Chinese virtual humans in three-dimensional reconstruction of meridians" and promoting tea therapy culture and the integration of traditional Chinese medicine into daily life. What unique advantages do these research directions and practical experiences have in promoting the internationalization of traditional Chinese medicine and "traditional Chinese medicine diplomacy"?

Professor He Zhenquan: My research has always revolved around the three goals of "modernizing traditional theories, visualizing abstract concepts, and making academic achievements more practical", which is highly in line with the demand for internationalization of traditional Chinese medicine. The specific advantages are reflected in:

1、 Meridian fascia theory: providing a "modern anatomical anchor" for traditional Chinese medicine theory

The theory of meridians in traditional Chinese medicine has long been questioned as "unscientific" due to the lack of clear anatomical entities. Our team found through sectional dissection and fascial mechanics experiments that the course of the "meridian lines" in traditional Chinese medicine is consistent with the height of the deep fascial spaces in the human body, and acupoints are mostly located in areas with dense fascial stress receptors. This discovery provides a modern medical explanation for the "essence of meridians" - meridians may be biological information channels composed of "fascia nerve blood vessel lymph". This research perspective of "combining Chinese and Western medicine" enables overseas scholars to understand meridians through familiar anatomical language, clearing key obstacles for the international recognition of traditional Chinese medicine theory.

2、 Virtual human meridian reconstruction: breaking cognitive boundaries with 'digital technology'

Traditional meridian teaching relies on diagrams and textual descriptions, making it difficult to demonstrate its three-dimensional spatial relationships. We have collaborated with the National Medical Digital Conversion Base team to construct a "high-precision meridian 3D model" based on the Chinese virtual human dataset, which can dynamically demonstrate acupoint positioning, qi and blood flow paths, and acupuncture effects. This' immersive learning 'greatly improves teaching effectiveness. In addition, the model also provides target references for the development of traditional Chinese medicine, such as analyzing the correlation between meridians and organs to guide the design of acupoint application formulas for anti-tumor traditional Chinese medicine.

3、 Promotion of Tea Therapy Culture: Using "Flexible Carriers" to Promote People to People Diplomacy

Tea therapy is a typical representative of the "lifestyle" of traditional Chinese medicine, with dual attributes of "health value" and "cultural symbol". We established the Guangdong Tea Therapy and Health Innovation Alliance in Guangdong in 2014, and the China Tea Therapy and Health Innovation Alliance in Beijing in 2017. We have organized over a hundred medicinal tea formulas suitable for overseas promotion, such as chrysanthemum goji berry eye protection tea, hawthorn lotus leaf lipid-lowering tea, etc. We have also conducted "tea ceremony+health" workshops in overseas Confucius Institutes and Chinese communities.

In my opinion, this promotion method has three major advantages:

Firstly, there is a low threshold: tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, with a high level of public acceptance;

Secondly, it has high added value: it not only spreads health knowledge, but also drives the output of Chinese tea culture and tea set aesthetics;

At the same time, it also has strong interactivity: through tea tasting and tea making experiences, overseas people can feel the wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine's "prevention and treatment of diseases" in a relaxed atmosphere. This "people to people diplomacy" is more infectious than official exchanges.

The common advantage of these studies and practices lies in building a bridge between "traditional modern" and "China world" - adhering to the core values of traditional Chinese medicine while expressing them in internationally recognized "scientific language" and "life language", making traditional Chinese medicine diplomacy both "deep" (academic support) and "warm" (cultural empathy).

Finally, based on your years of exploration and understanding, what specific suggestions or expectations do you have for the younger generation who are interested in pursuing a career in international traditional Chinese medicine?

Professor He Zhenquan: The younger generation is the 'future force' of traditional Chinese medicine diplomacy, and I would like to give them three 'keywords':

One is "rooting": consolidating the foundation of traditional Chinese and Western medicine, adhering to the principle of innovation, and being able to innovate

The internationalization of traditional Chinese medicine is not a castle in the air, it must be based on a profound foundation of traditional knowledge. It is recommended that young people first read the classics carefully: classics such as "Huangdi Neijing" and "Shanghan Lun" are the "roots" of traditional Chinese medicine. Only by mastering the essence of "syndrome differentiation and treatment" can traditional Chinese medicine thinking be accurately transmitted in international exchanges. At the same time, it is necessary to integrate modern medicine: master knowledge of anatomy, pharmacology, statistics, etc., learn to use scientific methods to verify the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine, and avoid falling into the extreme of "traditional only theory" or "scientific only theory".

The second is' breaking through barriers': cultivating cross-cultural competence and becoming a 'traditional Chinese medicine translator'

Traditional Chinese medicine diplomacy is essentially a 'cross-cultural communication' that requires young people to become 'two-way translators'. Firstly, it is necessary to achieve dual proficiency in both language and culture: not only to learn a foreign language well, but also to understand the cultural psychology of the target country. For example, when promoting traditional Chinese medicine to Islamic countries, it is necessary to avoid content related to "animal medicine" and respect their cultural taboos. At the same time, it is necessary to make good use of new media communication: interpreting traditional Chinese medicine through short videos, science popularization comics and other forms (such as using animations to demonstrate how meridians work), so that overseas audiences can "understand and be willing to watch".

The third is' perseverance ': adhering to long-term principles and accumulating trust in practice

The internationalization of traditional Chinese medicine is a slow process and cannot be achieved overnight. We should start from the "small incision": focus on a specific field (such as acupuncture and moxibustion for insomnia, Chinese medicine for diabetes complications), and form professional influence after ten years of deep cultivation. We should also respect differences and learn from each other: we should not exclude cooperation with other medical systems, such as promoting the combination therapy of "Chinese medicine acupuncture and moxibustion+local herbs" in Africa, so as to win respect for the actual efficacy.

I hope that the younger generation can promote the treasure of traditional Chinese medicine to the world with an attitude of "openness without blind obedience, confidence without arrogance". Remember, traditional Chinese medicine diplomacy is not only about "exporting technology", but also about conveying the Chinese wisdom of "people-oriented" and "harmonious coexistence" - this is the most precious value of traditional Chinese medicine and the common wealth of human civilization.

Thank you very much for Professor He's insightful sharing! Your insights not only provide a practical path for the internationalization of traditional Chinese medicine, but also demonstrate the warmth and depth of Chinese culture's "going global".

Professor He Zhenquan: Thank you for the attention of Qingqiao Magazine. Traditional Chinese Medicine Diplomacy is a long-term undertaking that requires joint efforts from academia, industry, and government. I look forward to more young people joining in the future, and enabling traditional Chinese medicine to contribute to global health and cultural exchange.