From September 16 to 20, the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies (WFAS) and the China Association of Chinese Medicine (CACM) led a delegation of TCM experts to Barcelona, Spain, and Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The delegation held in-depth exchanges with local experts in traditional medicine on how to further advance the joint development of legal frameworks and education for acupuncture and traditional medicine in Europe.

The Chinese TCM expert delegation visited clinics and educational institutions affiliated with the European Foundation of Traditional Complementary and Integrative Medicine (FEMTCI). Yang Jinsheng, Secretary-General of WFAS, Ma Jun, Deputy Secretary-General of CACM, and other delegation members held discussions with senior representatives of FEMTCI.

Dr Ramón María Calduch, Vice President of WFAS and President of FEMTCI, introduced the Foundation’s history and major areas of work. FEMTCI is committed to promoting the dissemination, education, research, and clinical practice of traditional medicine under rigorous scientific quality standards and to advancing its official recognition within healthcare and legal systems in different countries. Calduch said that, drawing on its long-standing cooperation with the TCM community in China and its communication with political stakeholders, FEMTCI has been independently advancing efforts to secure formal regulation of Chinese medicine in Spain, including through political dialogue and efforts to bring the issue into relevant policy agendas. The delegation expressed appreciation for FEMTCI’s efforts in the legal and regulatory development of traditional medicine and the standardization of education. Both sides agreed that China and Europe have a solid foundation for cooperation in traditional medicine and should next promote the implementation of high-level education and training programs, help reduce disparities in professional competency among local TCM and acupuncture practitioners, and further advance the standardized development of acupuncture and traditional medicine locally.

Yang Jinsheng held discussions with Àlex Badrena, Director General of the Higher Institute of Traditional Medicines (Instituto Superior de Medicinas Tradicionales, ISMET), with Deputy Consul General Hu Aimin of the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Barcelona also participating. The two sides exchanged views on promoting the integration of TCM and acupuncture into Spain’s healthcare and higher education systems. Badrena noted that a major obstacle to bringing TCM into Spain’s mainstream systems is the lack of officially recognized evidence and expressed the hope that a health cooperation mechanism could be established through high-level exchanges between China and Spain. Yang agreed and said that WFAS was ready to serve as a bridge, work toward incorporating TCM into the framework of China–Spain governmental cooperation, and encourage ISMET to participate actively in WFAS academic exchange and education programs, jointly promoting the international development of acupuncture.

The Chinese TCM expert delegation visited Shenzhou Open University of TCM in the Netherlands and held discussions with Director Dong Zhilin, Study Coordinator Eima Li, and other representatives of the university. Dong gave an overview of the development of TCM education and professional practice in the Netherlands, noting that the university’s qualifications are recognized in several EU countries. Under the current Dutch system, Chinese herbal products are generally regulated as foods or food supplements. While this provides a degree of flexibility in practice, challenges remain, including inadequate labeling, excessive heavy-metal residues, and the circulation of counterfeit or substandard products. Although acupuncture is relatively well known among the Dutch public, institutional barriers remain to its integration into mainstream healthcare, and some conventional medical practitioners remain skeptical of the clinical value of TCM, citing what they regard as insufficient modern scientific validation. The Chinese delegation noted that regulatory barriers remain a significant challenge for TCM in Europe and that stronger clinical evidence is urgently needed. The experts emphasized the importance of professional development, cooperation in clinical acupuncture research, and deeper international exchange to strengthen the academic influence and social recognition of TCM locally.

The Chinese TCM expert delegation also held discussions with the Dutch Chinese Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCMned), meeting with President Han Ruiqing, Secretary-General Yang Lihua, and Deputy Secretary-General Zhang Kai. Han introduced the original purpose of the association, which was established to address regulatory, standards-related, and cultural integration challenges facing TCM practice in the Netherlands. He outlined its three core principles of preserving authenticity, promoting standardization, and fostering integration. The association has been actively advancing institutional development in areas including professional qualification certification, continuing education, clinic management, and patient safety. TCMned is currently working with the Municipality of Eindhoven on a charitable acupuncture project for refugees, seeking to convey the humanistic values of TCM through professional services. The Chinese delegation suggested that TCMned deepen international exchange and cooperation with WFAS, CACM, and other organizations, promote the sharing of English-language standards in TCM and acupuncture, strengthen the international dissemination of research findings and academic exchange, and pursue practical cooperation in professional training and the integration of industry, education, and research.

The Chinese TCM expert delegation held discussions with the Dutch Association for Acupuncture (NVA), meeting with President Esther Buquet, former President and WFAS Executive Committee Member Harm J. Elsinga, and other representatives. The NVA introduced its membership and major areas of work, highlighting its achievements in securing VAT exemption for acupuncture, developing an integrative oncology system, promoting multidisciplinary collaboration, and advancing clinical acupuncture research. The association expressed strong interest in clinical acupuncture research conducted in China, particularly in China’s clinical research on acupuncture in cancer treatment. The Chinese delegation responded that China has carried out a number of high-quality clinical studies in recent years in areas including acupuncture as an adjunctive treatment for cancer, acupuncture analgesia, and postoperative rehabilitation, with encouraging interim results. The delegation expressed its willingness to share relevant research findings with the NVA, introduce Chinese research teams, and promote deeper cooperation in areas such as acupuncture for cancer treatment and rehabilitation and acupuncture standardization. The delegation also expressed the hope that, as a WFAS member society, the NVA would actively participate in the series of academic activities marking the 40th anniversary of WFAS next year and jointly plan continuing education, examinations, and related programs in acupuncture, promoting mutual recognition and alignment of standardized acupuncture training systems between China and Europe.

The Chinese TCM expert delegation also held discussions with the Dutch Association of Chinese Traditional Medicine (NVTCG ZHONG), meeting with Board Member Karel Blontrock and Treasurer Angie Calor-Man. The association is committed to advancing education, continuing professional development, and service standards for TCM practitioners, while promoting the development and application of TCM practices including Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, and cupping, together with traditional medicine approaches such as yoga, naturopathy, and dietary therapy. It also carries out accreditation of local TCM education programs. The association is currently focused primarily on regulatory compliance and improving professional governance, while its involvement in academic research remains relatively limited. Greater cooperation with relevant Chinese professional organizations is therefore needed to advance clinical research and academic exchange. The Chinese delegation suggested further strengthening academic cooperation through practical initiatives such as jointly organizing TCM conferences in the Netherlands and developing continuing education and training programs in TCM and acupuncture, thereby promoting substantive cooperation in clinical research and professional training.

During the visit to Spain, CACM, WFAS, the Barcelona Institute of Chinese Medicine (Instituto de Medicina China Barcelona), and ISMET jointly signed a letter of intent for cooperation to promote international academic exchange and cooperation among traditional medicine professionals from China and Spain.

From left: Yang Jinsheng, Secretary-General of WFAS; Ma Jun, Deputy Secretary-General of CACM; Cai Jian, Director of the Barcelona Institute of Chinese Medicine; and Àlex Badrena, Director General of ISMET.

The series of visits formed an important part of the “Belt and Road” Tour of Acupuncture-Moxibustion undertaken by WFAS in implementation of the outcomes of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. It also represented a concrete effort to promote the high-quality integration of TCM and acupuncture-moxibustion into Belt and Road cooperation and deepen practical cooperation between China and Europe in traditional medicine. Through a series of exchanges with acupuncture and TCM organizations in Spain and the Netherlands, the delegation further strengthened ties with the European traditional medicine community, laid a solid foundation for deeper cooperation in standardization, professional training, and clinical research, and created favorable conditions for the implementation of future collaborative projects.