On November 12, 2025, the "El Salvador Overseas Training Program on Smart Traditional Medicine" hosted by the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China and undertaken by Xiyuan Hospital of CACMS, came to a successful conclusion in San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador. This 90-day training program, as the first overseas training program for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) under the joint "Belt and Road" Initiative between China and El Salvador, marks a new stage in health cooperation between the two countries and writes an important chapter for the standardized development of TCM in Latin America. The closing ceremony was attended by the Chinese Ambassador to El Salvador, the President of the Supreme Committee for Public Health of El Salvador, the Director General of the El Salvador Social Security Institute (ISSS), the Vice Minister of Health of El Salvador, along with 45 Salvadoran trainees and the expert team from Xiyuan Hospital.

At the closing ceremony, Su Bo, head of the expert team from Xiyuan Hospital, reviewed the highlights of the training process. Since this program was launch in August, the expert team has delivered a systematic curriculum covering TCM culture, fundamental theories, and specialized techniques. Tailored specifically for local practitioners with a background in Western medicine, the program ranges from interpreting the core TCM concepts like "Sanjiao" and "Jingluo" (Meridians and Collaterals) to imparting the hands-on skills such as acupuncture and moxibustion and Tuina (Chinese massage). This program has successfully built a bridge for exchange between traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine. It is noteworthy that during the program, Xiyuan Hospital experts were granted the first-ever official medical licenses issued by El Salvador for TCM practitioners in Latin America. This milestone marks a historic breakthrough for TCM, paving the way for its legitimate practice across the region.

Zhang Yanhui, the Chinese Ambassador to El Salvador, stated that, "The successful conclusion of this training program is a fruitful result of China-EI Salvador friendship in the health sector, fully demonstrating China’s sincere support for the development of El Salvador’s healthcare industry." As a new bond connecting the hearts of the two peoples, this program will continue to advance the steady and far-reaching development of China-El Salvador comprehensive partnership."

In his address, Carlos Alvarenga, Vice Minister of Health of El Salvador, stated that the training program was precisely aligned with the nation's strategic focus on integrative medicine. He emphasized that the convergence of TCM with the local healthcare system has established a solid foundation for cultivating a new generation of localized TCM professionals. Ms. Monica Guadalupe Ayala Guerrero, Director General of El Salvador Social Security Institute (ISSS), also reiterated that, as the guarantor institutions of the national healthcare system, ISSS would provide ongoing support for the clinical application of TCM techniques.

On behalf of the trainees, María José expressed her gratitude to the Chinese government and Xiyuan Hospital for the invaluable learning opportunity. She stated that the participants have gained a solid understanding of key TCM techniques and are committed to introducing therapies like acupuncture and moxibustion to their communities, with the goal of improving public health and well-being in El Salvador. The clinical cases demonstrated by the trainees on site highlighted the unique advantages of TCM techniques in the diagnosis and treatment of some common diseases.

Xiyuan Hospital has trained more than 3,000 health officials from over 80 countries worldwide for 15 consecutive years. The success of this training program in El Salvador exemplifies how TCM is helping to build a community of shared human health. Furthermore, it has pioneered a new pathway for TCM's global dissemination and laid a solid foundation for future Sino-El Salvador cooperation in areas like community-based TCM service pilot programs.

As Xiyuan Hospital's first systematic TCM training program in Latin America, the El Salvador Overseas Training Program on Smart Traditional Medicine has become a vivid example of foreign aid training in the new era, with its remarkable achievements. The three-month program has achieved full-chain breakthroughs, spanning from high-level policy communication to practical implementation of TCM in clinical settings. Xiyuan Hospital has established a collaborative framework with El Salvador's three leading public health institutions, signing two substantive Memoranda of Cooperation. This partnership facilitated the rapid licensing of TCM practitioners in El Salvador within a remarkably short time-frame. Through its integrated "teaching-clinical" model, the program has successfully fostered local appreciation and demand for TCM, culminating in the training of El Salvador's first cohort of TCM professionals. It marks a strategic evolution from the mere "transfer of techniques" to a "deepened mutual understanding", and from "sharing best practices" to "building trust". In their letter of thanks to Xiyuan Hospital, the trainees wrote, "What we gained was not just techniques, but a new way of understanding health and life".

Contributed by: Office of International Exchange and Cooperation