The first Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Week in Britain, aimed at introducing the development and principles of TCM to the British people through seminars and exhibitions, opened at the Royal Society of Medicine in London on Monday.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Britain Fu Ying said the event, co-sponsored by the Chinese and British sides, would serve as a bridge for Britons to gain more basic information about TCM and Chinese culture.

It will also boost cooperation and exchanges between China and Britain in the field of TCM, she added.

According to Wang Guoqiang, director general of China's State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the event will showcase the special effects of TCM, which may benefit people from around the world.

During Wang's meeting with officials from Britain's Health Department, both sides agreed to boost Chinese medicine-related legislation in Britain and to achieve multi-dimensional cooperation in TCM.

Wang also encouraged increased interaction between Chinese and western medicine, in keeping with future development trends in medicine.

The TCM exhibition, key part of the event, involves over 500 precious items related to Chinese medicine, two-thirds of which have never been exhibited abroad before.

(Xinhua News Agency July 29, 2008)