PRESIDENT ASKS CHINA TO COOP ON TRADING OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINES

Beijing, Oct 26 (ANTARA) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono asked China to intensify cooperation on the trading of traditional medicines.

In his speech when visiting the Beijing University School of Medicine (BUCM) here on Sunday, the president said traditional medicines could be made as new earnings.
"This kind of business will also provide more job opportunities to the people including small and middle scale businesses. If traditional healing could be further developed, it will certainly benefit the people," he said.

According to him, traditional medicines have big economic potentials, as they could be domestically and globally marketted, the economic value of which is much big if we are able to develop them either in China or Indonesia.

Yudhoyono also appealed to China to build a cooperation in researching an developing traditional medicines. "Indonesia has a big natural wealth as a source of traditional medicines."
"The tropical climate and natural flora and fauna of the forest could be a big source of tranditional medicines. I am sure that China also has a big source of traditional medicines. Let us unite in building cooperation for the sake of the two countries," the head of state said.

The head of state also explained that Indonesia had formulated a strategic policy between the health ministry and trade ministry in hope of being able to develop traditional medicines.

Since the beginning, Indonesia however has already had a policy not to make western and eastern medication and treatement overlap.