Published : 2025-11-22
On 22 November 1987, the first World Conference on Acupuncture-Moxibustion, organised by the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies (WFAS), was held in Beijing.
86 delegates from 28 countries and regions around the world attended the first conference; Hu Ximing (胡熙明), the then President of the China Association of Acupuncture-Moxibustion, was elected as the first President of the WFAS, and vice-presidents were also elected from six countries: Australia, Egypt, France, Japan, U.S., and New Zealand.
In addition, more than 70 academic acupuncture societies and institutions from over 50 countries and regions attended the conference.
The first World Conference on Acupuncture-Moxibustion was the first large-scale international academic conference on acupuncture that was held under the direct leadership of the newly formed WFAS.
Hu Ximing pointed out in his speech at the conference that the establishment of the WFAS showed that acupuncture medicine had become a worldwide medical discipline. This was a milestone of profound significance in the history of the development of world acupuncture medicine.
He said that there were acupuncturists in over 120 countries and regions, and many countries have established academic acupuncture societies. In recent years, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has attached great importance to the development of acupuncture and traditional medicine, establishing collaborating centres for traditional medicine across the world, with seven established in China alone; the establishment of the WFAS received strong support from the WHO, particularly its Western Pacific Regional Office.
And Chen Minzhang (陳敏章), the then Minister of Health of China, also stated in his congratulatory address at the conference that China has always attached importance to the development of traditional medicine; not only acupuncture but also other clinical disciplines of Chinese medicine have been developed.
He said that we also support and research Tibetan, Mongolian, Uyghur and other ethnic minority medicines. In the future, we must continue to leverage the unique characteristics and advantages of Chinese medicine and pharmacology, preserve and develop Chinese medicine and pharmacology including acupuncture, and also actively utilise advanced science and technology and modernisation means to promote the development of the cause of Chinese medicine and pharmacology.
