Government officials attend press conference announcing international healthcare service session at 4th CIFTIS

A press conference announcing the hosting of the International Healthcare Service session at the 4^th China Beijing International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), which was co-organized by CiMing Health Checkup Management Group, was held in Beijing on December 18^th, 2015. Officials from the organizing committee of CIFTIS, the competent department of the Ministry of Health and the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, representatives from foreign organizations and business executives from leading healthcare firms, as well as journalists from more than 50 media outlets, attended the event, where attendees engaged in in-depth exchanges. At the event, the Chinese Medical Doctor Association signed cooperation agreements with several companies, signaling that the session, even at this early stage, is already yielding practical results.

The International Healthcare Service session at the 4^th CIFTIS – an event with many new features

The focus at the 4^th CIFTIS will be on several recent strategic initiatives being undertaken by the Chinese central government, including the One Belt and One Road initiative, the Internet+ initiative, the main objective of which is to leverage the internet to drive traffic to brick-and-mortar institutions, as well as large-scale entrepreneurship and innovation.

As one of the key sessions at CIFTIS, the International Healthcare Service session, will be hosted under the theme of "Connecting the World, Interconnecting Health". During the session and two forums that are part of the session, attendees plan to discuss several research topics including mobile medical technologies, Internet-driven healthcare, how doctors can better cooperate by working in groups, medical insurance, investment in healthcare, training and education, health management and community services. The event will feature a spacious 2,000 square-meter exhibition area populated by 100 booths. Exhibitors from more than 20 countries and regions are scheduled attend the event, with substantially more exhibitors and visitors from outside of China than at any previous session.

Yang Min, executive vice president and secretary general of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association and host of the International Healthcare Service session at the 4^th CIFTIS, said that the session organizers will spare no effort in making the event successful and work assiduously to implement the central government's guiding principles put forward at the 5^th Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the CPC. The principles call for promoting the building of a healthy China, strengthening international exchanges of health services, advancing the development of the health service industry and implementing action plans that leverage the internet as part of the plan to improve the quality of medical services.

National Health and Family Planning Commission's Healthcare Management Service Guidance Center head Xiang Zhun and CIFTIS organizing committee deputy directorLiang Jingyuan spoke at the conference: "The Central Committee of the Communist Party and the State Council attach great importance to medical reform and are highly cognizant of the progress that has been achieved as a result of our relentless efforts. However, we also clearly recognize the shortages and problems that continue to face the healthcare service industry. Leveraging the 4^th CIFTIS as a healthcare service exchange platform for Chinese and international players, we look forward to deepening medical reform by facilitating the development of medical services that are administered via the internet, allocating and aligning medical resources in a practical and scientific manner, not only in China but also globally, while increasing the feasibility and utilization efficiency of medical resources as well as improving the quality and safety of medical services."

The healthcare service industry receives widespread attention as a result of integration

At the press conference, Silicon Valley community Menlo Park mayor Catherine Carlton, Sector Lead for Healthcare and Life Sciences at the China-Britain Business Council Dr. Anna Zhao, Assistant to the Australian Ambassador to China Adrian Raftery, higi CEO Jeff Bennett and Mountain View Partners partner and founder Sun Chao delivered speeches on behalf of foreign organizations in China, healthcare service companies and medical investors. All were unanimous in saying that they are optimistic about the future development of China's healthcare service industry and are looking forward to deepening exchanges and partnerships with China in terms of medical services delivered online as well as medical resources, technologies, investment and insurance.

At the parallel forum held after the conference, a member of the Zhongguancun Healthcare Service Innovative Industry Technology Alliance and secretary general of the China Internet Medical Union Wang Jing, Mountain View Partners founder Sun Chao,general manager of business expansion at IBM's China Development Lab Gu Shishan, Cardunion Technology vice president Jiang Bo and chairman of the Specialized Committee of Health Management and Health Insurance for Doctors at the Chinese Medical Doctor Association Hu Bo expressed their viewpoints concerning the future development of healthcare services. New medical technologies and high-tech products that are expected to emerge in the future as well as ongoing internet-driven medical services, health management, medical insurance and investment projects became the topics of common interest among all industry professionals and received substantial attention from the media agencies in attendance.

Representatives from chambers of commerce and foreign agencies stationed in China including the US, the UK, France, Belarus, Australia and South Korea as well as business executives from healthcare technology, insurance and investment companies, among them, PKU Healthcare, Baidu Healthcare, Xingshulin, Morgan Stanley, Bright Oceans Corporation, Yingzhi Healthcare and GL Capital Group, attended the press conference. The strong roster of government and industry leaders present at the event was evidence of the strong appeal of the International Healthcare Service session at CIFTIS. A dozen companies and institutions including CiMing Health Checkup Management Group, CiMing OASIS International Health Management Hospital, Ci Ji Network Technology, the Silicon Valley Chinese Medical Service & Innovations Center, Zhongguancun Healthcare Service Innovative Industry Technology Alliance, Higi and Mountain View Partners confirmed their planned participation in the session.

Favorable government policies, prosperous market development and the heightened interest by investors, as well as the global attention being paid to the integration of physician resources, medical insurance, mobile technology, education and training, healthcare management and remote medical equipment, are all testament to the increasing number of opportunities in the medical service market as well as of collaborative efforts and exchanges.

Six highlights of the International Healthcare Service session

Close contact with world-class leaders in the medical field

The hosts of the International Healthcare Service session at the 4^th CIFTIS have invited representatives from renowned global medical healthcare service organizations and institutions including the American Medical Association (AMA), Britain's National Health Service (NHS), New York-based insurance provider Oscar Health and several U.S.-based health maintenance organizations (HMOs), all of whom plan to share their experiences, discuss future development trends and seek international cooperation.

Authoritative interpretation of government policies

The hosts have also invited officials from several government agencies including China's National Health and Family Planning Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the China Insurance Regulatory Commission, the Chinese Medical Doctor Association and the Chinese Non-Government Medical Institutions Association who will interpret policies concerning China's medical reform and internet-driven healthcare services as well as efforts to keep in line with international practice.

Across-the-board integration lays a solid foundation for future medical development

Covering all supply-side elements, including clinician resources, medical insurance, mobile technologies, investment, education and training, health management and remote medical equipment, the International Healthcare Service session at the 4^th CIFTIS will offer all C-suite-level health industry stakeholders a global open platform for fair communication, intelligence sharing, cooperation and mutual wins.

Integrating multinational forces to support medical practitioner associations

The World Association of Chinese Doctors, a new grouping initiated at the event by the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, plans to mobilize Chinese health practitioners in a move to provide support for deepening Chinese medical reform and improving medical services.

Creating and providing more opportunities for the Chinese medical community to make its presence felt in the international arena

The reform of China's healthcare system has generated numerous innovation projects. The International Healthcare Service session at the 4^th CIFTIS will serve to set the stage whereby the Chinese medical and health community can avail itself of more opportunities to show their innovative and pioneering products at international conferences and expos, fully supporting China's globalization drive.

Medical practitioner associations will be funded and encouraged

The Chinese Medical Doctor Association, the organizer of International Healthcare Service session at the 4^th CIFTIS, plans to provide domestic medical practitioner associations with funding as well as six standard exhibition stands and meeting venues where members of the domestic associations can meet with members of their international counterparts without incurring any expenses. The move is expected to encourage growth of locally-based gatherings and associations of Chinese health practitioners.

According to sources, the 3^rd China Beijing International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) attracted 153,000 visitors from 117 countries and regions, including members of the Zhongguancun Healthcare Service Innovative Industry Technology Alliance and 145,000 foreign professionals and executives. The 3^rd CIFTIS witnessed the signing of agreements for 236 projects, with a total trade value amounting to US$81.8 billion. Many new medical concepts as well as healthcare management models and technologies have been showcased at previous CIFTIS events and served to keep participants up to date on the latest trends across the sector. The successful opening ceremony and international promotion meeting of the International Healthcare Service session at the 4^th CIFTIS undoubtedly provided a precious opportunity for international and domestic companies which attended the session but may not able to participate in the larger CIFTIS event.