A major step in China-Pakistan scientific cooperation was achieved on June 4 with the launch of the Zhejiang-Pakistan Joint Laboratory on Research and Development of Herbal Medicine during the 2026 International Symposium on Traditional Chinese Medicine-Unani Medicine Cooperation and SCO Traditional Medicine Industry Forum in Ningbo, Zhejiang.
The joint laboratory is a provincial-level international research platform approved by Zhejiang Province in December 2025. It was established by Ningbo University’s Institute of Drug Discovery Technology in partnership with its Faculty of Medicine and Ningbo Kangning Hospital. Pakistan’s partner institutions include the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences at the University of Karachi and the University of Lahore.
Professor Zhao Yufen of Ningbo University will chair the laboratory’s Academic Committee, while Professor Liu Xinmin will serve as the Chinese director. Professor Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary from the University of Karachi and the University of Lahore has been appointed as the Pakistani director.
The laboratory brings together 50 researchers, including 30 from China and 20 international experts, working in fields such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, Unani Medicine, pharmacy, medicine, biology, chemistry, artificial intelligence, and regulatory affairs.
Its key research areas include preclinical and clinical studies of traditional medicines, international registration of related products, academic collaboration, and talent development.
During the event, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Traditional Medicine Industry Alliance and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s COMSTECH also signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen cooperation in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Unani Medicine. The agreement covers clinical research, policy and regulatory studies, product registration support, capacity building, and training in traditional medicine regulation.
