Guests pose for a group photo at the 2025 International Medical Innovation and Cooperation Forum.

The 2025 International Medical Innovation and Cooperation Forum was held in Fangchenggang, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, on April 29.

Shen Yueyue, vice-chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and president of the Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission (GNFCC) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech.

Shen said that the forum aims to deepen medical innovation cooperation with SCO countries, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as countries participating in Belt and Road cooperation.

China will take the forum as an opportunity to uphold shared innovation, continuously improve cooperation mechanisms for international medical innovation, strengthen collaboration and joint development, and build high-level international medical opening-up pilot zones with concrete efforts, she noted.

Furthermore, China will uphold inheritance and development, substantially enhance exchanges and cooperation in traditional medicine, promote mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, and advance the building of a global community of health for all, Shen added.

Shen Yueyue, vice-chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and president of the Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, attends the opening ceremony of the 2025 International Medical Innovation and Cooperation Forum and delivers a keynote speech.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Uladzimir Karanik, deputy prime minister of Belarus, said that the heads of state of China and Belarus have pointed out that cooperation in health, medical technology, and pharmaceuticals is one of the main strategic development directions for both countries. He said he believed that the cooperation between Belarusian and Chinese enterprises in the health sector will greatly promote international medical innovation, improve people's quality of life, and consolidate bilateral relations.

Belarus is willing to actively engage in dialogue and cooperation in the medical and health sectors with international partners, learn from each other, and enhance people's well-being, Karanik noted.

Uladzimir Karanik, deputy prime minister of Belarus, addresses the opening ceremony of the 2025 International Medical Innovation and Cooperation Forum.

Chhem Kieth Rethy, senior minister of Cambodia, noted in his address that the forum provided an important platform for the SCO, ASEAN, and the Belt and Road countries. Cambodia is willing to work with all parties to bridge differences, enhance people's well-being and lives, and create a future of peace, common prosperity, and dignity for all under the guidance of the Bandung Spirit and the "Shanghai Spirit", he said.

Chhem Kieth Rethy, senior minister of Cambodia, addresses the opening ceremony of the 2025 International Medical Innovation and Cooperation Forum.

Chen Gang, Party secretary of Guangxi and chairman of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Guangxi, noted in his welcome speech that Guangxi, as a frontier window for China's opening-up and cooperation and a land-sea gateway for the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, holds a special position in promoting the building of a community with a shared future with neighboring countries.

Guangxi is willing to work with all parties to seize opportunities for the development of artificial intelligence (AI) in the medical field, accelerate the aggregation of the international pharmaceutical industry, and build the Fangchenggang International Medical Opening-up Pilot Zone into an important platform for international medical innovation and cooperation, so as to better benefit the people of all countries and contribute to the building of a global community of health for all, he said.

Chen Gang, Party secretary of Guangxi and chairman of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Guangxi, delivers a welcome speech at the opening ceremony of the 2025 International Medical Innovation and Cooperation Forum.

SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev noted that 2025 is the SCO Year of Sustainable Development, which demonstrated the firm determination of SCO member states to promote sustainable development and the importance of cooperation in the medical field for safeguarding health.

He highlighted the close collaboration among SCO member states in areas such as biopharmaceuticals and the research and development of new drugs for better meeting the market and people's needs for quality of life, health, and longevity.

Yermekbayev called for joint efforts of SCO member states to address health challenges, deepen cooperation in the medical field, and promote the development of traditional medicine.

SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev addresses the opening ceremony of the 2025 International Medical Innovation and Cooperation Forum.

Cao Xuetao, vice-minister of China's National Health Commission, said that China advocates for the promotion of public health security, actively sharing experiences in response to public health emergency and natural disasters, and conducting joint prevention and control to consolidate the foundation of global health security.

Cao Xuetao, vice-minister of China's National Health Commission, addresses the opening ceremony of the 2025 International Medical Innovation and Cooperation Forum.

Saying AI has opened up new areas for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases, Syed Mustafa Kamal, minister of national health services, regulation and coordination of Pakistan, emphasized the need to fully tap into the potential of AI to improve people's health.

Through innovation, cooperation and investment, a strong, equitable, and sustainable public health system can be established to ensure high-quality care for every citizen in Pakistan and worldwide, and fully leverage current and future technologies to address future challenges, he said.

He emphasized the importance of broad technological cooperation and exchanges on issues of common concern such as universal health, improving medical services, addressing the challenges of population aging, and improving the accessibility of global health service products.

He also called for greater support for developing countries in the construction of laboratory testing capabilities, and the improvement of digital medical facilities and diagnosis and treatment technologies.

Syed Mustafa Kamal, minister of national health services, regulation and coordination of Pakistan, addresses the opening ceremony of the 2025 International Medical Innovation and Cooperation Forum.

Reiterating Uzbekistan's commitment to firmly upholding the missions and priority development directions of the SCO, Asilbek Khudayarov, minister of health of Uzbekistan, said his country is willing to leverage the organization as an important platform to provide high-quality medical services to more people in SCO member states through joint efforts with other SCO member states.

He said he believed that the forum would promote new agreements and breakthroughs, and bring more opportunities for consolidating healthcare systems.

Asilbek Khudayarov, minister of health of Uzbekistan, addresses the opening ceremony of the 2025 International Medical Innovation and Cooperation Forum.

Toktomuratov Manas Azimzhanovich, first deputy minister of health of Kyrgyzstan, said that in the context of rapid technological development and increasingly prominent global challenges such as pandemics, climate change, and population aging, medical innovation has played a crucial role in safeguarding people's health and well-being.

Kyrgyzstan is willing to work with other SCO member states and ASEAN countries to deepen cooperation in the medical field, strengthen technical exchanges and mutual learning, improve people's health, and contribute to regional development, he noted.

Toktomuratov Manas Azimzhanovich, first deputy minister of health of Kyrgyzstan, addresses the opening ceremony of the 2025 International Medical Innovation and Cooperation Forum.

Yusufi Salomudin Jabbor, former deputy director general of the National Academy of Sciences and head of Department of Medical and Pharmaceutical Education, Personnel Policy, and Science of Tajikistan, stated that Tajikistan highly appreciates and cherishes the comprehensive strategic partnership between Tajikistan and China in the new era.

He said he believed that both sides would jointly promote the development of the medical and healthcare sector under a multilateral framework and make this forum an important platform for discussing and solving healthcare issues of various countries and promoting SCO cooperation and regional integration.

Yusufi Salomudin Jabbor, former deputy director general of the National Academy of Sciences and head of Department of Medical and Pharmaceutical Education, Personnel Policy, and Science of Tajikistan, addresses the opening ceremony of the 2025 International Medical Innovation and Cooperation Forum.

During the opening ceremony, Jiang Jiandong, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a research fellow at the Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and Liu Qingquan, president of Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine and director of Beijing Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, delivered keynote speeches.

As one of the important activities planned by China during its rotating presidency of the SCO, the forum, themed "Medical Innovation and Sharing for Sustainable Development of Health", was co-hosted by the GNFCC and the People's Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and organized by the Fangchenggang municipal government.

In addition, the forum released the "2025 International Medical Innovation and Cooperation Forum Initiative", bringing together more than 400 participants, including leaders and officials from SCO countries.

Shen Yueyue, vice-chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and president of the Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, holds bilateral meetings with Uladzimir Karanik, deputy prime minister of Belarus, Chhem Kieth Rethy, senior minister of Cambodia, and SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev, respectively.

After the opening ceremony, Shen Yueyue and other Chinese and foreign leaders visit the International Medical Innovation and Exchange Exhibition.