China unveils 2026-30 plan to strengthen TCM services

China aims to establish a more robust traditional Chinese medicine service system covering the entire population throughout the full lifecycle by 2030, according to a national plan for TCM development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30).

The plan, approved by the State Council, was jointly released on Thursday by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the National Development and Reform Commission.

It sets out goals to achieve breakthroughs in the prevention and treatment of major diseases using TCM, upgrade grassroots TCM services and significantly enhance basic research capabilities in the field.

By 2030, the innovation capacity of the TCM industry is expected to be greatly strengthened, while the cultural and international influence of TCM will be further enhanced, according to the plan.

Official data show that in 2025, the total number of TCM outpatient and emergency visits reached 1.82 billion, while the number of beds in public TCM hospitals stood at 0.82 per 1,000 people.

By the end of 2025, nearly all county-level regions had established government-run TCM medical institutions, and 96.26 percent of secondary and tertiary public general hospitals had set up TCM clinical departments.