How China deepens health collaboration with APEC member economies

Asia-Pacific leaders will gather in the historic city of Gyeongju, Republic of Korea, for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting from October 30 to November 1, building consensus on cooperation and jointly charting a new chapter for the region's development.

China has been actively deepening its health cooperation with fellow APEC member economies in recent years, advancing this key area of regional partnership.

In March 2025, at the first APEC Health Working Group meeting of the year in Gyeongju, Zhang Cuiling, a researcher from the China Population and Development Research Center, shared China's national policies in addressing low fertility rate and population aging. She emphasized the necessity for cooperation among APEC member economies on these shared challenges.

Zhang proposed measures such as data sharing, technological collaboration, mutual learning from policy implementation and labor market reforms to build a more inclusive and sustainable new paradigm for regional development.

Chinese health experts have been actively engaging within the health mechanism of APEC to share experiences with other member economies. These discussions focus on tackling health challenges in the Asia-Pacific region and promoting cooperative initiatives for a sustainable healthcare economy, aiming to build more resilient regional health systems through policy coordination and technical collaboration.

Policy think tank

Beyond enhancing international exchanges, China is also contributing to regional health strategies through a policy think tank.

Established in 2015, the Peking University APEC Health Sciences Academy (HeSAY) is the coordinating center for APEC health innovation research exchanges and projects that inform APEC economies' health strategies and policies.

It operates as a think tank in health policy and health priority issues, including innovation in maternal and child health, mental health and wellness, and models of universal health coverage.

Since its establishment, HeSAY has advised various Chinese government departments and international health services, influencing the formulation and development of life science and health policies.

By creating multidisciplinary and multilateral platforms for international cooperation, it has strengthened ties with global peers in population health research, fostering scientific collaboration and progress in the region.

Scientific research and talent

China has engaged in extensive and in-depth cooperation with fellow APEC economies across various fields, including infectious disease prevention and control, public health system strengthening, vaccine research and distribution, and exchanges on traditional medicine.

In April 2025, West China Hospital of Sichuan University and the University of Queensland in Australia signed a Memorandum of Understanding, fostering deep collaboration by establishing sister laboratories, joint research and teaching, academic faculty and student exchanges, and student internships.

The formation of a relationship between West China Hospital's visual diagnosis and artificial intelligence (AI) department and the University of Queensland's Institute for Molecular Bioscience as sister laboratories kicked off the partnership.

This partnership will encourage close collaboration in key areas such as AI medical device development, educational course creation for visual diagnostics, and international multi-center research projects, driving innovation in these fields.

The development of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is gaining recognition within the APEC region, leading to collaborations in talent cultivation and scientific research.

In 2025, Malaysia's INTI International University started cooperation with China's Shizhen College of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. They aim to strengthen cooperation in talent development and academic exchanges, jointly cultivating TCM professionals with a truly international perspective.

The China-Malaysia Zhongjing Traditional Chinese Medicine Center, jointly established in 2020 by Henan University of Chinese Medicine and Malaysia's Management and Science University, currently offers comprehensive TCM services, including internal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping therapy and TCM physiotherapy rehabilitation.

Since opening in Malaysia in November 2023, the center has attracted a diverse international clientele, treating local patients alongside individuals from the United States, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, and Indonesia.