China will make an effort to standardize 500 traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) remedies and procedures over the next five years.

The standardization work will cover remedies, procedures, traditional medical terms and acupuncture standards, according to the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SATCM).

The lack of widely accepted standards has long been a hurdle for traditional Chinese medicine in being recognized and used in other countries.

The new standards will help improve the quality of traditional medicines and make them more acceptable to other people, said Chen Keji, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Without the standards, "foreigners will not accept Chinese medicine," Chen said.

China currently has 3,000 traditional medical hospitals that dispense medical treatment to nearly 234 million people each year.

Last year, China exported a record 830 million U.S. dollars worth of traditional medicines to 164 countries and regions.

(Xinhua News Agency October 10, 2006)