On June 4, 2025, the “Dominican Republic Strengthening Primary Health Care to Prevent Death and Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Training Program,” organized by the Ministry of Commerce and hosted by Xiyuan Hospital of the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, held its opening ceremony in Beijing. Twenty-three participants from the Dominican Republic will undergo a 21-day training program at Xiyuan Hospital. Li Qiuyan, President, and Ren Yan, Vice President, attended the opening ceremony. Yesenia Díaz Medina, Director of the Contribution System and Health Insurance Programs at the Dominican Republic's Health and Occupational Risk Regulation Agency, spoke on behalf of the trainees. Fu Jianhua, Director of the Hospital Administration Office, chaired the meeting.

Li Qiuyan pointed out that healthcare is one of the key areas of international cooperation and is highly prioritized by all countries. This training program has provided a valuable platform for exchange between the two sides. She expressed hope that participants would use this opportunity to actively explore new forms of cooperation in traditional medicine, encourage more domestic healthcare institutions to participate, and build a multi-level, comprehensive healthcare cooperation network. This would further deepen exchanges and mutual learning between China and the Dominican Republic in the fields of healthcare and public health, and jointly promote the high-quality development of bilateral relations.

Yesenia stated that the trainees are looking forward to and deeply value this learning opportunity, hoping to gain a deeper understanding of China's valuable experiences in healthcare, cultural heritage, and governance through on-site exchanges. She also expressed a willingness to use this opportunity to further strengthen friendly ties between the two peoples and continuously deepen practical cooperation between the two sides in the field public health.

Following the opening ceremony, the trainees visited the cultural corridor and the Disease Prevention Center at Xiyuan Hospital. As the host institution for the Ministry of Commerce's overseas training program, Xiyuan Hospital of the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine has provided traditional Chinese medicine-themed training to over 3,000 participants from nearly 100 countries over the past 15 years. In the future, Xiyuan Hospital will continue to leverage its strengths, expand international cooperation channels, and contribute to the promotion of traditional Chinese medicine services along the Belt and Road Initiative, thereby contributing wisdom and strength to the construction of a healthy China and the enhancement of human well-being.

Source: International Exchange & Cooperation Office, Xiyuan Hospital

Chinese Editor: Jia Guanchun 

English Editor: Zhang Fangteng