The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region can play a key role in promoting the global recognition of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), according to Hong Kong entrepreneur Adrian Cheng Chi-kong.

“As the most internationalized city in China, Hong Kong is perfectly positioned to be a springboard for promoting TCM overseas,” said Cheng, founder of the Almad Group investment firm and the K11 by AC cultural brand.

Cheng said Hong Kong can consolidate TCM-related data and lead in the internationalization and standardization of TCM culture, treatments, and food products, so they can align with medical standards in different regions and be better applied in the global market.

The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong, the first of its kind in the SAR, is set to commence services in phases starting from Dec 11. The SAR government’s Chinese medicine testing center is also expected to begin operation at the same time.

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In October, the SAR government said a blueprint of the development of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong will be published by the end of this year.

Cheng noted that TCM, with a history of thousands of years, has been widely adopted not just in China but also in many other countries in Asia.

However, he said there are still many barriers for TCM to be truly internationalized, as there are challenges in medical systems, education, cultural habits, and standards.

“There is huge potential for integrating TCM with Western medicine and innovative technologies to achieve internationalization,” said Cheng.

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Cheng was speaking to China Daily on the first day of the “We Are The World (WATW) Bangkok 2025 – Global Biohealth, Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Traditional Medicine Fusion Cooperation Summit” on Nov 9.

Running through Nov 11, the summit brought together leading global experts in various medical fields, including TCM, regenerative medicine, biotech, and AI-powered healthcare.

We Are The World is a global health platform launched by Cheng and his partners in October.

Cheng said he hopes the Bangkok summit can help promote knowledge exchange, connect patients with necessary medical resources, and foster more international discussions on TCM.

Cheng said Asia, as a region thriving both in population and economy, has a growing need for advanced medical treatment and innovation, making it an ideal hub for healthcare cooperation and development.