At the invitation of Chinese Consulate-General in Rio de Janeiro, Beijing Foreign Affairs Office arranged for Beijing Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine to participate in "Fighting COVID-19 with Traditional Medicine", one of a series of international anti-epidemic cooperation meetings hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Brazil and Chinese Consulate-General in Rio, on June 30 via video link. Experts from Beijing Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine discussed with their counterparts from the Health Committee of Rio State Council, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio Medical Business Association and Federal Rural University of Rio De Janeiro on how to jointly fight the epidemic with traditional medicine. Representatives from China Chamber of Commerce for Import & Export of Medicines & Health Products, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine affiliated to Capital Medical University and Tongrentang (Group) Co., Limited. also participated in the meeting.

Tu Zhitao, Director of Beijing Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, gave a speech titled Working together to Fight COVID-19 with TCM and Western Medicine: Beijing's Experience, in which he introduced what Beijing did in the use of TCM in COVID-19 prevention and control as well as related research, training and international cooperation. President of Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Liu Qingquan and Vice President of Tongrentang (Group) Ding Yongling highlighted the important role played by TCM in fighting the epidemic regarding clinical classification and treatment and anti-epidemic cooperation between Beijing and Brazil.

Noting the extensive cooperation between Rio State Council and China since the outbreak in Brazil, Chairman of Health Committee of Rio State Council Rosa said Rio State Council is willing to explore cooperation with Beijing in this area, not just for fighting COVID-19, but also for in-depth exchanges and long-term cooperation so as to fully unleash the potential of traditional medicine to better serve the people in Rio.

The two sides also discussed the research and development of vaccines and the external TCM therapy in treating COVID-19 cases.

This was the third meeting between the two countries on anti-epidemic cooperation. The two cities would also hold talks on front-line treatment of confirmed cases and economic and trade cooperation in response to the epidemic.