Director-General Hu Kaiqiang Delivers a Video Address to the 2026 “Stem-Free China” Longevity and Health Forum

Shanghai Cooperation Organization Time  

This forum is guided by the International Exchange Center of the Multifunctional Economic and Trade Platform of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Member States and co-organized by the Precision Medicine Innovation Committee of the same platform and the Organizing Committee of the “Stroke-Free China” Longevity and Health Forum. It brings together government leaders, industry experts, philanthropic partners, and corporate representatives to engage in in-depth exchanges on key topics such as the prevention and control of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases, innovation in traditional medicine, and empowerment of primary healthcare. These discussions lay a solid foundation for building the nationwide network of “Stroke-Free China” sites and inject practical momentum into the implementation of the Healthy China 2030 strategy.

The main forum session officially commenced on the afternoon of March 18. In his opening address, Wang Guisong, initiator of “Stroke-Free China,” professor at the School of Medicine of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and specialized advisor to the Think Tank of the Multifunctional Economic and Trade Platform of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Member States, articulated the original mission of “ensuring that everyone is free from cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases.” He squarely addressed the grave situation facing China’s prevention and control of such diseases and emphasized the urgent need to establish a comprehensive, end-to-end health management system encompassing prevention, screening, intervention, and rehabilitation. Hu Kaiqiang, Executive Director of the Multifunctional Economic and Trade Platform of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Member States; Qiang Pengcheng, Deputy Director of the Office for Cooperation and Exchange of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government; Yan Mingguang, founder of the Shanghai Yan Baohang Social Welfare Foundation; and other dignitaries delivered remarks, offering guidance for the development of “Stroke-Free China” from the perspectives of policy support, international cooperation, and public-service empowerment.

In his address, Secretary-General Hu Kaiqiang stated that strengthening cooperation in the health sector and jointly building a closer Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) community of health have become a broad consensus among all SCO member states and a shared direction for their collective efforts. The organization of this forum is of great significance in enhancing public health and well-being and in promoting the development of related industries. He emphasized that the SCO Multifunctional Economic and Trade Platform has successively established four working committees covering traditional medicine, precision medicine, and health care, among other fields, and has appointed leading domestic and international medical experts—including National Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine and People’s Hero Academician Zhang Boli—as lifetime honorary chairpersons or think tank advisors to the platform. Through the deep integration of the entire value chain—medical practice, education, research, industry, and application—the platform is pooling industry expertise, breaking down disciplinary barriers, and taking concrete steps to advance high-level exchanges and international cooperation in the medical field among SCO member states. It is hoped that, through the holding of this event, precision medicine technologies, particularly those for the prevention and control of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases, will be more widely adopted and implemented across SCO member states, thereby benefiting the people of all participating countries.

Jin Xiulian, Secretary-General of the Committee for the Promotion of Appropriate Technologies of the China National Association for Ethnic Health, Wang Hengda, Chairman of the Zhang Zhongjing Award Organizing Committee, and other experts and scholars also shared their insights on topics such as the inheritance of traditional medicine and innovation in TCM, offering diverse approaches to the prevention and control of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases.

As a key component of the forum, a ceremony for signing multi-party strategic cooperation agreements was held successfully. “No-Stroke China” entered into in-depth partnerships with six organizations and institutions, including the Precision Medicine Innovation Working Committee of the SCO Economic and Trade Platform, the BRICS Organization, the Russian Business Union Center, and the Organizing Committee of the Zhang Zhongjing Award, thereby establishing a diversified development model that integrates international collaboration, clinical implementation, technology-driven empowerment, and public-service legacy. Notably, the partnership with the Precision Medicine Innovation Working Committee of the SCO Economic and Trade Platform will facilitate the export of China’s technologies for the prevention and control of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases to countries along the Belt and Road; the joint release of the “Zhang Zhongjing Award No-Stroke China Studio Standards” with the Organizing Committee of the Zhang Zhongjing Award will provide guidance for the standardized operation of grassroots studios; and the collaboration with the Shenzhen Weilan Institute of Small-Molecule Biotechnology will focus on the research and development of microcirculatory reconstruction technologies, offering technological support for primary-care interventions. This series of collaborations not only injects momentum into the development of the “No-Stroke China” initiative but also establishes a health-service platform that fosters domestic–international linkages and integrates industry, academia, research, and application.

The forum also concurrently hosted a ceremony for the release of industry standards and the presentation of plaques and awards, during which plaques were presented to organizations in Hefei, Shanghai, and Baotou to officially establish the “China Training Center for Stroke-Free Care.” The center will focus on systematic training for brain health managers, thereby cultivating and supplying professional talent to grassroots healthcare settings. In addition, several outstanding annual partners, including Shi Chunsheng from Baotou, as well as more than ten individuals recognized for their contributions to public welfare, such as Hua Jianming, were honored, setting industry benchmarks and serving as role models for philanthropy, and inspiring greater public engagement in health prevention and control initiatives.

During the keynote session, leading industry experts delivered a series of insightful presentations. Professor Wang Guisong, in his address titled “Reconstructing a New Ecosystem for Microcirculatory Health,” proposed a full-cycle health management model encompassing education, assessment, intervention, and management. Secretary-General Jin Xiulian, in her presentation “Upholding Fundamentals While Innovating: The Core Role of Traditional Medicine in the National Health Strategy,” highlighted the unique advantages of TCM in the prevention and control of chronic diseases. Meanwhile, Secretary-General Li Xia outlined the prospects for international cooperation between the SCO economic and trade platform and the “Stem-Cell-Free China” initiative, advocating the establishment of a two-way, interconnected health-service network. In addition, Vice President Tong Wusong shared practical experience in the rehabilitation of patients with severe craniocerebral injury, further enhancing the comprehensive, end-to-end service system that integrates prevention, intervention, and rehabilitation.

On the morning of March 19, the forum held a briefing on the operations of the WuGeng China initiative, with a focus on empowering grassroots training and advancing career development. Professor Wang Guisong once again emphasized that grassroots service sites represent the “last mile” of health prevention and control. Secretary-General Jin Xiulian shared a systematic talent-development program, while outstanding volunteer Zhan Longwen conveyed the concept of “health as the primary responsibility of each individual” through personal family stories. Ms. Zhao, head of the WuGeng China division, provided a comprehensive overview of the organization’s strategic roadmap for development, detailing multi-dimensional support policies covering branding, talent cultivation, and technological innovation. She also outlined the national site-deployment plan and the direction for upgrading collaboration models, advocating a partnership approach based on “shared risks and shared benefits” to extend health services to county-level areas and local communities.

That afternoon, the forum hosted two specialized sub-forums—one on Alzheimer’s disease and the other on cancer prevention and control—focusing on the critical areas of elderly health and chronic disease management. The Alzheimer’s sub-forum integrated innovative approaches such as traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture intervention, exosome technology, and “Internet Plus” wellness concierge services to offer a diversified array of strategies for addressing cognitive decline. Meanwhile, the cancer prevention and control sub-forum centered on discussions about early screening and diagnosis, precision treatment, and related topics, aiming to facilitate the grassroots implementation of advanced cancer prevention and control concepts and technologies. These efforts have enriched the substance of the “Stroke-Free China” health service initiative and expanded the scope of a comprehensive, life-course health management system.

The convening of this “Stroke-Free China” Longevity and Health Forum represents both a proactive step by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Multifunctional Economic and Trade Platform to implement the strategic consensus reached by the heads of member states and to advance the building of a closer health community, and a significant milestone in the implementation of the Healthy China initiative. The forum has effectively brought together the combined efforts of government, industry, non-profit organizations, and enterprises, providing comprehensive policy, technological, and resource support for the development of the nationwide “Stroke-Free China” network. According to reports, moving forward, “Stroke-Free China” will take this forum as a new starting point to further deepen the integration of precision medicine and traditional medicine, accelerate the rollout of its national network and talent development, and promote the grassroots deployment of a “1+N” service model centered on the prevention and control of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases. By combining professional expertise with compassionate care, the initiative aims to safeguard the health of all citizens and make greater contributions toward achieving the Healthy China 2030 goals and enhancing the health and well-being of people in the era of longevity.