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Minister Li Bin attends Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2014

The Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2014 was held in Boao, Hainan, from April 8 to 11. Li Bin, minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People’s Republic of China, attended the opening ceremony and gave a speech at a roundtable conference about the mission of the pilot region for international medical tourism.

According to Li, the State Council issued a document promoting the development of the health services industry in 2013. Speeding up the development of the health services industry can not only improve national health quality but can also further expand domestic demand, promote employment and transform the pattern of economic growth. International medical tourism is an important part of the health service industry. The State Council’s approval to set up a pilot area for international medical tourism in Boao will further promote and upgrade Hainan International Tourism Island as a national strategy. It will also serve as a way for Hainan to explore using its tourist resources to promote the development of medical tourism, which will help demonstrate the development of domestic industrial parks and the health service industry.

Li offered four suggestions about setting up a pilot area for international medical tourism in Boao. First, Hainan should highlight the features of medical tourism and fully utilize its ecological environment and regional advantages to better combine medical service and the tourism industry as well as develop a series of medical tourist products. Second, Hainan should make scientific plans and establish a reasonable layout between the low-carbon and low-emission ecological environment. Third, Hainan should serve as a region to pilot new policies. Fourth, Hainan should strengthen promotion. The Hainan Boao international medical tourism pilot area is expected to explore a new pattern suiting the development of China’s medical tourism and health service industry.

The roundtable conference about the mission of the pilot region for international medical tourism is one of a series of conferences in the Boao Forum for Asia. It attracted many officials, experts and entrepreneurs from China, Korea, Japan and the Czech Republic.

During the conference, Li Bin met with Olivier Charmeil, president and CEO of Sanofi Pasteur. They exchanged ideas about further strengthening the research and production of vaccines, promoting vaccine upgrade, and the prevention and control of NCD.

Officials from the General Office, Department of Planning and Information, Department of Health System Restructuring and Department of International Cooperation from the Health and Family Planning Commission accompanied Li and were present at the activities.