Cao Xuetao, vice-minister of China's National Health Commission (NHC), met with the United States' Under-Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Marisa Lago in Beijing on Sept 4.

Cao said at the meeting that enhancing China-US health cooperation is conducive to safeguarding the health and wellbeing of the people of both countries and the wider world. He expressed the willingness to work with the US side to implement the San Francisco Vision and deepen collaboration in pharmaceutical technology innovation, construction of medical systems and prevention and treatment of female cancers.

Cao introduced the measures to implement the health-first strategy and the Healthy China initiative highlighted at the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. He noted that Chinese modernization provides new opportunities for the development of the world, adding that China welcomes the active participation of US pharmaceutical enterprises in sharing the development dividends of China and playing a positive role in promoting the sound and stable development of China-US relations.

Lago said that China and the US face common challenges in the construction of medical systems as well as cancer prevention and treatment. Enhancing economic and trade cooperation in the healthcare sector serves the common interests of both sides, and the US hopes to further mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation with China in the pharmaceutical industry to promote the health of people of the two countries and the world, she added.

Officials from related NHC departments and representatives of US pharmaceutical enterprises were present at the meeting.