China & UK challenges shared

 The mutual challenges facing both the UK and China formed the basis for discussions as King’s College London hosted a major delegation of Chinese academics and healthcare professionals as part of the China Business Conference this week.

Academics engaged on a wide range of topics including how to tackle healthcare for increasing elderly populations, urbanisation impact upon health, using ‘telemedicare’ and better training for healthcare staff.

The visit was organised by The China-Britain Business Council (CBBC) which is escorting the delegation on a one-week tour of London and Cambridge, and is timed to coincide with the China Business Conference on 11 March.

It is designed to create a dialogue between senior representatives from Chinese and UK government, hospitals, business and universities to understand how the UK and China can work more closely together in the field of education and healthcare. The delegation is meeting with colleagues at Cambridge University later this week.

CBBC Director Chris Cotton told the meeting that the exchange offered a chance to ‘highlight the expertise that the UK has to offer across a wide range of fields.’

Very important partner

Welcoming the delegation, Director of King’s Health Partners’ Integrated Cancer Centre, Professor Arnie Purushotham said that China was a ‘very important partner (for the UK) and that will continue to be the case for a very long time.’ He said one of the strengths that King’s has to offer is its work across inter-disciplinary areas including social science.

Mr Fu Ming, President of International Cooperation at Guizhou CREC (Tourism and Culture Development) said providing healthcare for a growing and ageing population was a huge challenge. He described how a major innovative project – the Sun Valley community in Guizhou was collaborating with UK, Swedish and US colleagues in an attempt to create a ‘novel and signature international care complex and eco-community’ providing for some 170,000 residents. They aim to incorporate NHS medical systems with smart technology and to involve UK companies. He said he was very keen to work more closely with UK universities like King’s on staff training, hospital development and using technology.

President of Hainan Medical University, Professor Lu Chuanzhu said: ‘China is currently in a very important, very critical moment. I hope that I will learn a lot from King’s College London.’

'Stumbling block'

Professor of Vascular Physiology at King’s Giovanni Mann said that industry could play a potentially important role supporting joint studies between China and UK as high UK tuition fees are currently a ‘stumbling block.’

The visit was supported as part of the Great Britain campaign launched in the wake of the 2012 London Olympics which has identified China as a Top 5 priority country with which to build stronger ties. UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), Healthcare UK and the International Health Exchange and Co-Operation Centre (IHECC) are also partners.