Experts attending a forum on traditional Chinese medicine Monday agreed that this type of medicine, which has a long history and integrated system of data, will get further international recognition and go on to renewed prosperity with the help of high technology.

"Only a combination of traditional Chinese medicine and modern science and technology can make the former get worldwide acceptance," said Xu Jingren, president of the Yangzi Pharmaceutical Group, based in Jiangsu Province, east China.

A state-level large pharmaceutical enterprise, the company owns China's leading medicine development center and the largest traditional Chinese medicine extraction base of the country.

Chinese factories produce more than 5,000 types traditional Chinese medicines, but experts say that due to their low technical quality, these products are less competitive on international markets.

Zhou Haijun, an expert with the World Health Organization, said development efforts to revitalize traditional Chinese medicine should be focused on making use of modern technologies such as genomic research findings and computer science.

The experts also called for efforts to protect natural medicinal resources to ensure sustained use.

(People's Daily 05/15/2001)