The State Council, China's cabinet, published a five-year plan on Thursday to promote traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) by increasing its role in the national healthcare system and making TCM products and services more competitive abroad.
The 2015-2020 plan aims to deepen medical reform, improve people's health, and help transform the country's economic development mode, according to the State Council.
TCM refers to a holistic medical system involving practices including herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage and exercise. It is generally considered an alternative to modern healthcare.