The 3rd International Conference on the Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) was held in Chengdu City from Nov. 25 to 26，2010. Participants included over 2,000 representatives from 21 countries such as the US, Britain, Germany, Netherlands, Japan, South Korea, Laos, and Myanmar etc..

The event was sponsored by 15 ministries and departments including MOST, the Ministry of Health, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SATCM), and Sichuan Provincial People’s Government. The Opening ceremony was attended by WANG Weizhong, MOST Vice Minister; WANG Shaoxiong, Member of the CPC Standing Committee of Sichuan; and WANG Guoqiang, SATCM Director and Vice Minister of Health.

Leaders and representatives present at the event included Ponmek Dalaloy, Minister of Health of Laos; Paing soe,Vice Minister of Health of Myanmar; Zhang Qi, head of the Traditional Medicine Department of the WHO; David Trevor Graham, Chairman of the ISO/TC249 Secretariat; and K.Barry Sharpless, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry.

With the theme of “TCM Innovation and Development”, the conference was divided into three sessions: innovation forum, themed activities, and science and technology exposition. Over 1,300 theses were submitted; the sessions and themed activities featured the latest TCM achievements in the areas of policies, resources, science and technology, public health, education, production, etc. Over 60 intents of cooperation were identified during the matchmaking event for biomedicine industries.

The conference is held every three years with an aim to promote the development and application of TCM and other traditional medicines in the interest of mankind.