“The Tibetan medicine system originated in Tibet and has developed on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in northwest and southwest China,” Qin Yongzhang, an ethnologist at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, was quoted as saying by state-run Global Times.
India nominated Sowa-Rigpa to enhance its soft power, gain confidence and benefit financially, Qin said referring to reports of India filing a counter bid for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation Heritage list of Tibetan medicines.
“The truth is that Tibetan medicine not only originated but has developed in China,” he said.
Qin claimed that thousands types of Tibetan medicine are from China’s Qinghai, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces and Tibetan medicine hospitals are spread across China, with considerable medicine literature published in recent years.
China has accelerated the development of Tibetan medicine and pharmacology.
UNESCO will consider both countries’ bids at the organisation’s session in 2018.
“In 2007, the output value of Tibetan medicines reached 660 million yuan (USD 96 million), with sales of 450 million yuan,” the report quoted an official Chinese publication.
