Asian Medicine And Globalization PDF Download

Abstract: In the continuously developing world of modern medicine, traditional medicines have begun to lag behind and disappear from the medical community. However, in China, Traditional Chinese Medicine, (TCM,) continues to persist in the face of debates, societal and environmental changes as well as global condemnation. In spite of all this, the Chinese government has set up protective measures to defend TCM from these outside influences, but in doing so has harmed their credibility in the global theater. Critics of TCM say it should be destroyed because its lack of scientific explanations, however these critics have jumped to conclusions; it is currently impossible to say TCM is unscientific or not because of a lack of evidence. The laws and regulations surrounding TCM domestically have created an unscientific process of maintaining its continued appearance in the Chinese market, resulting in a lack of credible evidence. These lax regulations, while intended to protect the cultural relic that is TCM, have raised questions lately about the safety and efficacy of the medicine, adversely affecting the global opinion on the topic of traditional methods. The oral and experiential traditions of TCM can no longer be used as the answer to questions of TCM in a global society. In addition, TCM has become a means of soft power for the Chinese, albeit ineffective due to the lack of evidence for or against its continued existence. With the 1996 decision to Open up the FDA, China began to emphasize TCM as a viable means of soft power. However the failure of the resolution to get TCM on the American market and to give it a place of its own pushed TCM into a state of in-betweeness, where the west did not want it, and China did not want to take it back. In order to put TCM back into a respectable position while saving face for China, this thesis intends to analyze the problems TCM faces while providing a remedy to the 100 year long scar on the face of TCM.