A book suggests TCM faces challenges. [Photo provided to China Daily]

It is the brainchild of experts and economists at the Cultural Research and Propagation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine under Beijing University of Chinese Medicine.

With statistics and analyses on the development and promotion of TCM in current Chinese society, as well as data based on a series of surveys among Beijing residents about their knowledge of TCM and their willingness to use it, the big report is a compilation of 14 smaller reports on nearly all aspects of TCM in Chinese society, such as TCM's popularity within different age groups, TCM industry supervision, private TCM healthcare, the lack of well-trained TCM practitioners and the heritage of TCM culture.

Mao Jialing, director with the center and chief editor of the report, says he hopes it will be able to help Chinese health authorities better understand the current situation of TCM, before they enact further policies to support its development.

"TCM is an essential part of Chinese culture, and TCM products and services have gained in prominence within our healthcare system in recent years. But there are still a lot of problems to deal with to foster the healthy development of TCM," Mao says, pointing to herbal medicines which do not meet industry standards as an example of a problem in that sector.