Industry update
Shanghai maps out its next phase as an international medical hub
Shanghai says its 2026-2030 health plan will expand international medical services in public hospitals, standardize TCM offerings and deepen support for foreign patients and cross-border health cooperation.
Shanghai's municipal government said on March 5 that the city's 15th Five-Year Plan period will emphasize international medical services in public hospitals, international-standard traditional Chinese medicine, and health cooperation with overseas friendship cities.
The same official update says 22 public medical institutions had already been approved as pilot units for international medical tourism since September 2023, and that Shanghai's public hospitals served 73,200 foreign patients in 2025, up more than 8 percent year on year.
For PatientChina readers, this is a policy-direction signal about service capacity and administrative support, not a guarantee about a specific doctor's schedule, treatment eligibility or admission result. Patients should still confirm department availability, pricing, language support and documentation requirements directly with the licensed hospital they plan to use.