BEIJING -- China will strengthen the role of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in advancing its Healthy China Initiative, said a senior official at the National Health Commission.

In an interview with Xinhua, Yu Yanhong, also head of the National Administration of TCM, said the administration has pledged to protect people's health in all aspects and throughout their lives by leveraging the TCM's capabilities and supporting the combination of TCM and Western medicine.

China now boasts 41,700 TCM clinics and over 99 percent of community- and township-level medical institutions are capable of providing TCM services.

In 2023, China's 93,000 TCM specialized medical institutions recorded 1.54 billion medical visits, according to Yu.

Foreign exchange of TCM has been promoted as it has been introduced to 196 countries and regions worldwide, said Yu, adding that China has signed TCM cooperation agreements with more than 40 foreign governments, regional authorities and international organizations.

A key Communist Party of China document adopted in July stressed the importance of improving the mechanism for promoting the preservation and innovative development of TCM.

Yu said China will support reforms in various aspects of TCM, including service models, talent development mechanisms, and research evaluation mechanisms.

Efforts will also be made to fully explore the cultural value of TCM, as well as strengthen the protection, utilization and inheritance of relevant cultural relics and heritage in this field, she said.