Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei joins forces to open new maritime channels, while Nantong rallies to set sail and further expand its global reach.

Shanghai Cooperation Organization Time  

— A Tour of the Internationalization of the Healthcare Industry Empowered by the SCO Economic and Trade Platform’s Working Committee on Sustainable Health Development

From May 15 to 22, under the coordinated leadership of the Health and Sustainable Development Working Committee of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Multifunctional Economic and Trade Platform (hereinafter referred to as the “Working Committee”), member organization Global JuJie, in collaboration with government and enterprise entities from Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei, as well as the Nantong Development Zone, successfully hosted the 2026 Southeast Asia and South Asia Medical Device Supply‑Demand Matchmaking Conference and the 2026 China (Nantong) Medical Device Overseas Buyer‑Supplier Matchmaking Event.

The Working Committee, anchored in the SCO’s multilateral cooperation framework, takes public health collaboration, mutual learning in traditional medicine, digital health connectivity, and industrial supply-chain alignment as its core pillars. It comprehensively promotes the integration of international medical resources, policy coordination, and project implementation, forging a “golden bridge” for the international healthcare industry to expand overseas through a series of pragmatic initiatives. These efforts facilitate the deep integration of China’s high-quality medical resources and smart‑manufacturing products into the markets of Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the global community, thus ushering in a new chapter of regional synergy, industrial internationalization, and joint governance in the health sector.

As a specialized platform for health‑related cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s multifunctional economic and trade framework, the Working Committee has long been committed to implementing the “Outline of Basic Measures for the Development of Health‑Sector Cooperation among SCO Member States (2025–2027).” Focusing on five key areas—emergency medicine, primary health care, digital health, traditional medicine, and medical equipment supply chains—the Committee has established cross‑border medical cooperation mechanisms, promoted mutual recognition of standards and reciprocal accreditation of qualifications, facilitated precise matching of supply and demand, and organized clinical‑technology exchanges and talent‑development initiatives. In doing so, it provides top‑level strategic guidance, coordinated resource allocation, and robust platform support to advance the internationalization of the healthcare industries in member states. This series of events represents a landmark effort by the Working Committee to foster international medical cooperation and empower local industries to expand globally.

Jishi Sets Sail: Intelligent Manufacturing Shines as China’s Timeless Heritage Embarks on a New Chapter Abroad

From May 15 to 16, the inaugural stop of the Southeast and South Asia Medical Device Supply‑Demand Matchmaking Conference kicked off in Shijiazhuang. Under the coordination of the Working Committee’s International Resources Division, procurement delegations from Nepal and Thailand traveled to Hebei Province, engaging in exhibition‑based promotion and one‑on‑one, precision matchmaking. They held in-depth discussions with local companies such as Yishengtang and Dukang, as well as Ping’an Hospital, and conducted on‑site visits to the Jizhou medical device industry cluster, gaining firsthand insight into its advantages as a large‑scale industrial hub.

The Working Committee has actively promoted international exchanges and cooperation in traditional medicine, helping Chinese medicine culture go global. A procurement delegation visited Zhile Orthopedic Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, where they witnessed firsthand the masterful spinal correction techniques of National Master of TCM Chen Guchao; the remarkable therapeutic effects earned heartfelt praise from foreign visitors. Leveraging the cross‑border TCM diagnosis and treatment exchange mechanism established by the Working Committee, the committee has accelerated the integration of Chinese medicine culture into Southeast Asia, enabling “Made in Hebei” products and the quintessential art of TCM to advance steadily onto the world stage.

Gyeonggi Gathering Momentum: Precision-Matched Partnerships Yield Abundant Economic and Trade Achievements

On May 17–18, the matchmaking event made a stop in Daxing District, Beijing, marking the grand launch of the “Global GO – Overseas Expansion Services Series.” The dedicated session brought together more than 230 domestic and international guests and 34 overseas buyers. Leveraging the Working Committee’s end-to-end service framework—featuring upfront demand assessment, government‑enterprise profile matching, and closed‑door negotiations—the event successfully secured 12 preliminary agreements, with an estimated transaction value of approximately RMB 132 million.

By empowering the entire value chain—R&D, manufacturing, logistics, certification, and cross-border settlement—this initiative precisely addresses the pain points faced by companies expanding overseas, creating a replicable and scalable “Daxing Model” that supports the high‑quality internationalization of Beijing’s pharmaceutical industry and further strengthens the core underpinning for the medical‑health sector’s global outreach in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region.

Jinmen’s Deep Engagement: A Second Round of Coordination, with Concrete Outcomes in Cooperative Intentions

From May 19 to 20, a dedicated outbound train arrived in Tianjin, ushering in a new chapter of deepened collaboration. With the support of the Working Committee’s clinical resource‑matching initiative, more than 40 overseas buyers visited the Thoracic Hospital and the Shi’s Dexin Clinic, gaining firsthand insight into the robust capabilities of “Western medicine combined with traditional Chinese therapies.” At the International Medical Centralized Procurement Center’s matchmaking event, domestic and international enterprises engaged directly with one another, conducting efficient negotiations to address specific needs.

To ensure the successful implementation of cooperation, the Working Committee has pioneered a “secondary precision matchmaking” mechanism, organizing foreign delegations to conduct on-site visits and in-depth discussions at benchmark enterprises such as Xinhong Medical and BGI Medicine. This approach has bridged the “last mile” in project execution, turning expressed intentions into concrete orders, thereby highlighting Tianjin’s unique strengths in translating medical‑industry innovations into tangible outcomes and demonstrating the Committee’s professional expertise in providing end-to‑end support for project implementation.

Nantong Joins Forces: Precise Linkages and Transoceanic Cooperation Unveil New Brilliance

On May 22, the “Tonglian International – Gathering in Nantong: 2026 China (Nantong) Medical Device Overseas Buyer–Supplier Matchmaking Conference” concluded successfully in Nantong. At the opening ceremony, the municipal and district governments of Nantong, together with the Economic Development Zone, unveiled industry policies, showcasing the robust foundation and open‑minded commitment of the biopharmaceutical sector. The president of the Nepal Chemical and Medical Suppliers Association delivered a speech on site, underscoring the international market’s pressing demand for “Made in China” innovation. Meanwhile, the Working Committee leveraged the SCO platform as a vital link, aligning local industrial strengths with overseas procurement needs to set a pragmatic tone for deeper collaboration.

That afternoon, the Nengda Biopharmaceutical Science and Innovation Park buzzed with lively business discussions. Buyers from Nepal, Pakistan, Malawi, Bangladesh, and other countries engaged in in-depth talks with more than 30 medical device companies from the Yangtze River Delta, focusing on core product categories such as in vitro diagnostics, monitoring equipment, and implantable/interventional devices. Cutting-edge offerings like single-use arterial blood collection systems and hemoglobin A1c test kits were particularly well-received. During the event, ten pairs of purchase‑intent agreements were signed, totaling approximately RMB 30 million. In addition, gifts presented by the Nepalese delegation—Dhaka caps and Pashmina cashmere scarves—elevated economic and trade cooperation to a profound cultural exchange that transcends mountains and seas.

Looking Ahead: Collaborative Empowerment to Forge a New Frontier for Healthcare Globalization

From exploring Shijiazhuang’s industries and promoting the international expansion of traditional Chinese medicine, to Beijing’s precision matchmaking and platform‑driven support, and then to Tianjin’s clinical validation and deep‑level implementation, the three regions of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei area have taken turns hosting the event—a vivid demonstration of the working committee’s coordinated leadership, regional collaboration within the healthcare sector, and collective efforts to go global. Looking ahead, under the coordination of the working committee, the three localities will continue to leverage their respective comparative advantages: drawing on Hebei’s manufacturing prowess and rich heritage in health and wellness, Beijing’s R&D capabilities and hub‑city functions, and Tianjin’s strengths in technology transfer and cross‑regional integration, to build an overseas‑expansion ecosystem characterized by complementary strengths, synergistic efficiency, and harmonized standards.

The visit to Nantong represents another pragmatic initiative by the Working Committee to leverage the SCO’s economic and trade platform in helping local industries expand overseas. Moving forward, the Nantong Development Zone will take the Nengda Biopharmaceutical Science and Innovation Park as a strategic fulcrum to further deepen international cooperation in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors. Meanwhile, Global Jujie, under the guidance of the Working Committee, will continue to capitalize on the SCO’s multilateral cooperation network to build a higher‑level platform for international supply‑and‑demand matching.

The Working Committee will continue to build on the SCO framework for health cooperation, deepening collaboration in areas such as joint prevention and control of infectious diseases, digital‑health interoperability, the international promotion of traditional medicine, and the stabilization of medical‑equipment supply chains. It will also advance cross‑border collaborative innovation in medical technologies, joint talent development, and the growth of industrial clusters. Guided by the Belt and Road Initiative, the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region and industrial hubs like Nantong will work in concert to become a core engine driving China’s medical industry onto the global stage, ensuring that high‑quality medical products and cutting‑edge technologies benefit people worldwide and helping to elevate the sustainable development of health‑related endeavors under the SCO framework to new heights.

(Contributed by the Platform’s Committee on Sustainable Sanitation)