On July 3rd, Prof. Hu Zijing, President of the Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Association of Africa and Professor at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, led a delegation to our hospital for exchange. Vice Director Chen Qiu represented the hospital in receiving the delegation. Representatives from the Sichuan Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Sichuan Institute of Chinese Medicine also participated in the reception.

During the meeting, Chen Qiu extended a warm welcome to Prof. Hu and his delegation for their reciprocal visit. He recalled the cooperative consensus reached during the visit of Vice Governor Yang Xingping of Sichuan Province, Director Tian Xingjun of the Sichuan Provincial Administration of TCM, and other leaders and experts to South Africa in May this year, particularly highlighting the shared vision for collaboration in higher acupuncture education, talent cultivation, and specialized training programs. Chen Qiu emphasized that this return visit marks a new beginning for deepening friendship and advancing practical cooperation between both sides. Prof. Hu Zijing delivered remarks on the development and needs of Chinese medicine in South Africa, after which the two parties engaged in in-depth discussions on topics including the internationalization and standardization of Chinese medicine, as well as joint talent development.

Following the meeting, accompanied by hospital representatives, Prof. Hu Zijing and his delegation toured several specialized departments: the Acupuncture Department, TCM Preventive Center, Pestle Needle Therapy Studio, and Endocrinology/Diabetes Center. They personally experienced the hospital’s nationally recognized intangible cultural heritage technique, “pestle needle therapy," and observed the clinical application and research progress of distinctive Chinese medicine technologies.

Both sides expressed strong willingness to deepen cooperation and identified key areas for future collaboration. The core objectives include actively advancing the establishment of a resource-sharing mechanism for acupuncture education and implementing joint high-level talent training programs. To this end, both sides reached a preliminary consensus on formalizing cooperation through a framework agreement to ensure its stability and sustainability.