Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – 12 Sep 2026 – Liu Jinfeng, Vice Minister of China’s National Health Commission (NHC) and Director of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (NATCM), led a delegation to Malaysia from 9–12 September 2026 and served as co‑chair of both the 10th China–ASEAN Health Ministers’ Meeting and the 11th ASEAN Plus Three (China, Japan, Korea) Health Ministers’ Meeting, which convened more than 160 delegates from ASEAN member states, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea. During the visit, China and Malaysia signed a Memorandum of Understanding on health cooperation between the two governments.
Diplomatic Milestone
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Delegation Head | Liu Jinfeng – Vice Minister, NHC; Director, NATCM |
| Meetings | 10th China–ASEAN Health Ministers’ Meeting; 11th ASEAN+3 (China, Japan, Korea) Health Ministers’ Meeting – China served as co‑chair |
| Dates & Venue | 9–12 Sep 2026, Malaysia |
| Participation | 160+ representatives from ASEAN member states, China, Japan and Korea |
| Bilateral Outcome | Signing of the MOU on Health Cooperation between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of Malaysia with Malaysian Health Minister Zulkifli Ahmad |
| Delegation Composition | Officials from NHC departments of System Reform, Primary Healthcare and International Cooperation, NATCM, the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration, and the National Center for Women and Children’s Health |
Cooperation Agenda & Policy Priorities
- Policy Showcase: Liu presented China’s national health “15th Five‑Year” Plan (2026–2030) and highlighted the achievements of the Healthy China initiative to regional counterparts.
- China–ASEAN Track: Commitment to deepen cooperation under the China–ASEAN health cooperation mechanism in health human resources, maternal and child health, and traditional medicine.
- ASEAN+3 Track: Commitment to strengthen practical cooperation on infectious disease prevention and control, healthy aging, and universal health coverage (UHC).
- Strategic Framing: Both agendas were positioned toward building a global community of health for all, extending China’s multilateral health diplomacy footprint across Southeast and Northeast Asia.
Bilateral Engagements & Field Visits
- Malaysia: Meeting with Health Minister Zulkifli Ahmad, culminating in the signing of the China–Malaysia health cooperation MOU, which institutionalizes a bilateral framework for future joint programs.
- Other Delegations: Exchanges with heads of delegation from the Republic of Korea, Cambodia and the ASEAN Secretariat.
- Site Inspections: The delegation visited Cheras Rehabilitation Hospital, a primary healthcare clinic, and the China–Malaysia Zhongjing Traditional Chinese Medicine Center – a flagship platform for TCM cooperation between the two countries.
Regional Health Diplomacy Impact & Outlook
- Institutional Deepening: The MOU with Malaysia converts ministerial dialogue into a standing bilateral cooperation framework, likely anchoring follow‑on projects in workforce training, primary care and traditional medicine.
- TCM as a Soft‑Power Channel: The visit to the Zhongjing TCM Center – and the explicit inclusion of traditional medicine in the China–ASEAN cooperation agenda – signals Beijing’s continued push to internationalize TCM across Southeast Asia.
- Aging & UHC Convergence: With ASEAN economies facing rapidly aging populations, prioritizing healthy aging and universal health coverage aligns China’s domestic policy export with the region’s most pressing structural health challenges.
- Disease‑Control Alignment: The ASEAN+3 focus on infectious disease prevention and control reinforces post‑pandemic regional surveillance and response coordination among the three Northeast Asian partners and ASEAN.
- Next Steps: Specific work programs, timelines and funding commitments under the MOU were not disclosed in the readout.
Forward‑Looking Statements
This brief contains forward‑looking statements regarding the implementation of the China–Malaysia health cooperation MOU and cooperation agendas under the China–ASEAN and ASEAN+3 health mechanisms. Actual outcomes may differ due to risks including policy prioritization, resource allocation, and evolving diplomatic and public health conditions. Implementation details were not disclosed in the official readout.-China Health Reform Pulse
Policy Source: https://www.nhc.gov.cn/gjhzs/c100032/202609/9bd3cf08c8bb42139a684feddbba9b2a.shtml