The Director of the Department of Health, Lin Wenjian, attended the 2025 Capital International Medical Conference in Beijing to introduce the development of medical innovation in Hong Kong

The Director of the Department of Health, Lin Wenjian, stated last Saturday (13th) at the 2025 Capital International Medical Conference in Beijing that Hong Kong SAR's health indicators and medical quality are among the best in the world. In the face of challenges such as an aging population, technological advancements, changes in lifestyle, and environmental shifts, institutional and technological innovation and development in healthcare will be the only choice to ensure the sustainable development of medical services. In line with the Chief Executive's strategies for healthcare reform and innovation in the 2024 Policy Address, the Department of Health will officially establish the "Hong Kong Drug and Medical Device Regulatory Center" by the end of next year, integrating the regulatory functions of Western medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, and medical devices to comprehensively enhance the current system.

In addition, starting next year, the Department of Health will implement a phased "First-Level Approval" new drug registration mechanism, aiming for full implementation by 2030. This will break through Hong Kong's long-standing reliance on overseas drug regulatory agencies for "Second-Level Approval," helping Hong Kong SAR develop an internationally authoritative regulatory body in the field of drugs and medical devices, promoting the development of the local medical and biotechnology industry, while also allowing citizens to benefit from the latest scientific research results, enabling patients to access evidence-based safe and effective innovative drugs and devices early, achieving "good drugs for Hong Kong use, good devices for Hong Kong use."

Lin Wenjian's visit to Beijing was at the invitation of the Beijing Health Commission to attend the 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services. During the visit, he led a delegation to meet with relevant departments of health and drug regulation in Beijing to deepen communication and cooperation. Additionally, the delegation visited the National Health Commission, the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Medical Emergency Department, and the Medical Administration Department from the 10th to the 12th, and was received by Shen Hongbing, Deputy Director of the National Health Commission and Director of the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The delegation also met with the Health Quarantine Department of the General Administration of Customs, the National Center for Mental Health and Mental Health Prevention, and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. During these meetings, both sides engaged in in-depth discussions on a wide range of public health issues, including the joint prevention and control work in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the latest developments in infectious disease monitoring, vaccination programs, chronic disease prevention and control, cancer screening and prevention, port health quarantine measures, mental health promotion, professional exchange programs, and enhancing the regulation of drugs and devices. The Department of Health also signed an agreement with the Beijing Health Commission and the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention to lay a solid foundation for deepening cooperation, sharing experiences, resources, and results, which will greatly benefit the enhancement of both parties' healthcare service systems' capabilities and accessibility