China's top legislature on Sunday adopted a law on traditional Chinese medicine, or TCM, to give it a bigger role in the medical system. The Law on Traditional Chinese Medicine was approved at the end of a seven-day session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee which concluded on Sunday afternoon.

The law, which will go into effect on July 1, 2017, will protect and facilitate TCM development, while protecting people's health. County-level governments and above must set up TCM institutions in public-funded general hospitals and mother and child care centers. Private investment will be encouraged in these institutions. All TCM practitioners must pass tests. Apprentices may only begin practice when they have recommendations from at least two qualified practitioners and pass relevant tests.

"To a large extent will solve the constraints of the development of Chinese medicine, and will promote the transmission and development of Chinese medicine. It is helpful to build a medical and health system with Chinese characteristics, to construct a healthy China, and to make full use of traditional Chinese medicine in the economy and society, as well as to maintain the leading status of China as a traditional medical power in the development of traditional medicine in the world," Wang Guoqiang, direcor of State Admin. of Tradional Chinese Medicine, said.