Hong Kong has taken an important step towards turning itself into an international biotechnology hub with the signing of
two landmark agreements with the national health authorities. The pacts deepen collaboration on traditional Chinese medicine and cancer research, and mark the official launch, side by side at Tseung Kwan O, of the Chinese Medicine Hospital and the permanent home of the Government Chinese Medicine Testing Institute, which opened last month.
Their significance was underlined by the presence of the country’s top health official, National Health Commission head Lei Haichao, who called on the city to serve as a pillar of promotion of
traditional Chinese medicine. “Hong Kong should leverage its technical strength in Chinese medicine testing and quality control,” he said, while also urging the development of Chinese-Western treatments.
There is no question about demand for the hospital’s services. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the hospital had been so popular with the public it had already increased its service quota three times. That is just the beginning. The national minister also said the hospital positioned Hong Kong as a talent hub for Chinese medicine and helped deepen regional cooperation. He added that the hospital’s opening “is a catalyst to establish a Chinese medicine medical consortium and cluster in the
Greater Bay Area” and “should also provide workstations for Chinese medicine masters to attract experts from all over the world”.
What set this week’s ceremony apart were developments to further the hub status of the
Chinese Medicine Hospital and testing institution – the signing of contracts to boost collaboration on both Chinese medicine and cancer research.
The city’s Health Bureau and the National Cancer Centre signed up to deepen collaboration in basic cancer research, screening, early diagnosis, standardisation of diagnosis and treatment, and public education. That will come to be seen as a landmark in Hong Kong’s transformation into a biotech hub. Far from being a supplementary treatment, Chinese medicine is increasingly being seen as targeted and less intrusive.
With the signing of these agreements there is potential for collaboration, aided by artificial intelligence, for the more precise diagnosis and targeting of treatment. Already, AI has played a role in this regard on the mainland. Thanks to greater awareness and technological and medical advances, cancer is becoming more curable. Further advances in prevention and cure can depend on comprehensive collaboration across the board with mainland professionals. Hong Kong can play an important role in developing more effective and less intrusive treatments.
