The World Health Organization (WHO) is proposing a strategy of promoting "Healthy Cities". The Chinese government, in accordance with this strategy, has cooperated with the WHO to promote such cities in China.

Wang Guoqiang, vice-minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) met with Dr Bernhard Schwartl?nder, the WHO representative in China in Beijing on September 30. Both sides exchanged ideas about healthy cities and traditional medicine.

Wang said that “Healthy China” is an important goal that the Chinese government tries to achieve and healthy cities are the backbone of a healthy China. “China and the WHO will co-organize the 9th Health Promotion Conference and hold a mayors’ forum on international healthy cities,” he said. Wang hoped that the WHO could further cooperate with the Office of the National Patriotic Health Campaign Committee to push forward China’s healthy cities’ construction. He also expected to see China’s cooperation with the WHO in traditional medicine.

He expressed gratitude to WHO for its contribution to China’s health industry development. Wang stressed that China is a developing country with imbalanced development in urban and rural areas and regions, which brings a lot of challenges to the medical and health services. He hoped that the WHO could further support NHFPC’s work and cooperate with China in deepening healthcare reform and pushing forward the achievements of UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Bernhard Schwartl?nder praised the healthy city construction conducted by the Chinese government, with the cooperation of various departments and the participation of the whole society. He said that the WHO is willing to cooperate with China in building healthy cities and traditional medicine.

Officials from NHFPC’s Bureau of Disease Prevention and Control and Department of Communications took part in the meeting.