On the morning of September 13, the 2024 Beijing Capital International Medical Conference opened at Shougang Park, as one of the health-related special activities of the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS). Yin Li, Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, and Lei Haichao, Head of the National Health Commission (NHC), delivered speeches. Li Xiuling, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal People’s Congress, Wei Xiaodong, Chairman of the CPPCC Beijing Municipal Committee, and Liu Wei, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, attended relevant events.
Yin Li emphasized that health is an eternal pursuit of mankind and a significant indicator of national development and social progress. President Xi Jinping has always prioritized people’s health. The Chinese government places great importance on public health initiatives and medical advancement, and is committed to building a Healthy China and a global community of health for all. Beijing’s health indicators rank among the best in global cities. As the capital of China, it boasts a wealth of medical research and educational institutions, abundant resources for medical innovation, and a vibrant pharmaceutical and health industry. This lays a strong foundation for a Healthy Beijing and creates favorable conditions for accelerating medical development and enhancing global health cooperation. Moving forward, we will continue to optimize the health service system to improve public health. This includes deepening the coordinated reform of medical services, medical insurance, and pharmaceuticals, optimizing the allocation of medical resources, and enhancing public health monitoring, early warning, and emergency response systems. The aim is to improve disease diagnosis and treatment, ensuring everyone enjoys more equitable, accessible, and lifelong health services. We will advance medical innovation to promote the life and health sector with technology. It is essential to strengthen basic and clinical research, leveraging new technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data to accelerate the development of precision medicine and translational medicine, and promote innovation in cutting-edge fields. Efforts should also be made to expedite the development of the pharmaceutical industry to enrich the supply of high-quality medical and health products. This involves reinforcing input of resources, policy support and intellectual property protection, supporting the R&D and production of major new drugs, and establishing key industrial clusters to expand the pharmaceutical trade and offer a diverse range of medical products and services. Further international medical cooperation will contribute to addressing global health challenges. We will build platforms for international exchange and cooperation, deepen medical collaboration with the Belt and Road partners, and implement the China-Africa Partnership Action for Health, thereby fostering a more robust global health cooperation network.
Lei Haichao pointed out that the inaugural Beijing Capital International Medical Conference is a milestone that enriches the CIFTIS and establishes a new platform for collaboration and exchange within the medical community. All attendees are encouraged to leverage this opportunity to engage in pragmatic cooperation and shared benefits, to promote health-related communication and collaboration between China and other countries, as well as cross-sector integration and dialogue. In addition, collaborative efforts should be made to advance innovation in medical technology, support the application of innovative outcomes, and engage in in-depth discussions focused on reform, opening-up, cooperation, innovation, and development in the pharmaceutical and health sectors. Sharing Chinese modernization experience and exchanging effective approaches from around the world will contribute to building a global community of health for all and improving people’s well-being.
Liu Qian, President of the Chinese Hospital Association, presided over the opening ceremony. Martin Taylor, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to China, Bertrand Lortholary, French Ambassador to China, and Zhang Ming, Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, delivered speeches in person or via video. Themed “Working Together for Practical Cooperation and Mutual Benefit”, the Beijing Capital International Medical Conference features a main forum, roundtable discussions, information release, and parallel forums. Attendees will discuss and delve into topics such as major disease prevention and control, health priority strategies, artificial intelligence in healthcare, and innovations in health technology, promoting international exchange and cooperation in the medical and health sector and driving high-quality development of related services.
Following the opening ceremony, leaders from the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal People’s Congress, the Beijing Municipal Government, and the CPPCC Beijing Municipal Committee, visited the thematic exhibition of CIFTIS at Shougang Park. They visited various areas involving environmental services, telecommunications, computer and information services, financial services, medical and health services, educational services, sports services, and cultural tourism services, gaining insights into new technologies, business forms, models, trends, consumption types, scenarios, and achievements. This year’s CIFTIS has significantly enhanced its exhibition quality and international engagement, with 85 countries and international organizations showcasing their exhibits. Notably, 13 of these entities held independent offline exhibitions for the first time, while over 450 Fortune Global 500 and leading enterprises confirmed their participation. As the permanent venue for the fair, Shougang Park has launched the Shougang International Exhibition & Convention Center and nine thematic exhibitions of the CIFTIS, providing an exceptional experience for both exhibitors and visitors.
Leaders from relevant central government departments and Beijing municipality, officials from the Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR, representatives from various international organizations, and experts and scholars from China and abroad, attended related events.
(Written by Qi Mengzhu and Liu Feifei)
