BEIJING -- A senior Chinese legislator on Sunday stressed the need to pass on, make good use of and promote the development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

Chen Zhu, vice chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, made the remarks in a video speech at the opening ceremony of the fourth Belt and Road Forum for TCM Development.

Saying that TCM is a treasure of China's ancient science, Chen called for innovative approaches to passing on and developing TCM, giving full play to it in preventing and treating COVID-19 and promoting TCM services to the world.

The forum was jointly organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the National Administration of TCM and the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.