China-UK Consortium (CUC) for Medical Integration, Research and Collaboration

Following the "Sino-European Conference on TCM" held in Rome in June 2007, hosted by the Italian Ministry of Health with the Chinese Ministry of Science & Technology, and the EU Commission, the urgency for the establishment of a UK Consortium to co-ordinate medical integration, research and collaborations with China became apparent.

Chinese Medicine in the UK is amongst the most developed within the European Community with well established centres of excellence in clinical practice for nearly four decades and a mature consumer acceptance of Chinese medicine treatment. Numerous academic institutions and research centres in the UK are now engaged in projects of research and integration connected with Chinese medicine, pharmacology and R&D programmes in collaboration with the Chinese counterparts. As these different areas of medical integration, research and collaboration, projects are gathering momentum with the increasing economic and cultural impact of China, the formation of the China-UK Consortium (CUC) is timely and necessary. The CUC will ensure a unified voice to represent the UK in these fields on the international platform, especially with the EU and China. The CUC will also provide a focal point for exchange and collaboration between members to enhance the effectiveness of partner projects, to avoid duplication and waste of resources.

In China and EU, funds are now available for the international community earmarked for Chinese medicine development and medical integration. The CUC will enhance the UK possibility of obtaining a reasonable portion of these funds for development projects within the UK. International co-operation, especially with our European partners, will be made more creditable through the office of the CUC.

The current climax of global medical integration necessitates attention from the UK government, academic institutions and corporate enterprises towards this historical opportunity. This is precisely the background in which the CUC is formed.