The Seventh Beijing Forum on Evidence-Based Medicine and the 2026 eCMTA Journal Academic Symposium, held October 19–20 at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (BUCM), convened 28 experts from 14 countries and regions to confront a central question: how can reliable evidence support high-quality development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and its integration into clinical practice and public health? The gathering matters because it signals a sustained international effort to subject TCM to the same evidentiary standards applied to conventional medicine, a shift with implications for research funding, clinical guidelines, and global health policy.
Co-hosted by BUCM's Center for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine and the Journal Center, the forum featured keynote addresses from leading figures including Gordon Guyatt, a founder of evidence-based medicine and professor at McMaster University. Guyatt emphasized that evidence varies in reliability and that high-quality decisions require scientific appraisal and systematic summaries while accounting for patients' values and preferences. Nicola Robinson of London South Bank University challenged participants with the question "What Counts as Evidence?", stressing that trust demands rigorous research into real effects and risks rather than individual success stories. These presentations underscored a persistent challenge: evaluating TCM's efficacy and safety and translating findings into usable evidence.
The implications extend beyond academic debate. As Pan Yanshu, director of BUCM's Journal Center, noted, evidence-based medicine is not a contest between tradition and modernity but a way to test traditional medicine's clinical value through modern science. That framing positions the eCMTA journal as a vehicle for gathering high-quality evidence and promoting international dissemination of TCM research. The journal, Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine and Technology Assessment, aims to support integrative healthcare decision-making by publishing rigorous studies. With article processing charges waived until December 31, 2027, and rewards for outstanding manuscripts, the journal is actively courting submissions that could shape the field. Authors can submit via https://mc03.manuscriptcentral.com/ecmta.
Beyond methodology, the forum addressed artificial intelligence and the translation of evidence into clinical practice guidelines—areas where TCM has historically lagged. Sessions on Chinese herbal medicine trials, global trends in evidence-based integrative medicine, and acupuncture for cancer-related fatigue in breast cancer patients illustrated the breadth of research underway. A young scholars' session gave early-career researchers a platform to present work on clinical research, evidence evaluation, and guideline development, signaling a pipeline of talent that could sustain momentum. International roundtables on TCM priority conditions and cooperation in traditional medicine, chaired by Fei Yutong and Cao Huijuan, explored clinical advantages and collaborative opportunities.
The eCMTA Journal Academic Symposium further cemented the journal's internationalization, with appointments of editorial board members and reports on database indexing and academic influence. Coinciding with BUCM's 70th anniversary, the events reflect a long-term institutional commitment to integrating TCM with evidence-based methods. The forum's outcomes are expected to deepen international academic cooperation, strengthen high-quality clinical research, and promote the translation of scientific evidence—steps that could lead to more scientifically grounded understanding of TCM's clinical value and greater support for healthcare quality and public health. For a field often criticized for insufficient rigor, such efforts are essential to earning trust among clinicians, regulators, and patients worldwide.
