Medical tourism in China has developed rapidly in recent years and has gradually become an ideal destination for international patients. This phenomenon is the result of multiple advantages, mainly reflected in the following aspects:
I. International competitiveness of medical technology and equipment
China's technical level in some specialized fields has reached the top tier globally, providing international patients with high-quality treatment options:
• Distinctive Specialties: Advanced technologies and extensive clinical experience in fields such as cancer treatment (e.g., proton and heavy ion radiotherapy, targeted therapy), cardiovascular intervention surgery (e.g., coronary artery stenting, radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation), organ transplantation (China leads the world in liver transplant procedures), and neurosurgery (brain tumors, spinal cord diseases). For example, Shanghai Ruijin Hospital's hematology treatment, Peking Union Medical College Hospital's critical care medicine, and Guangzhou First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University's organ transplantation are all highly regarded in the international medical community.
• Widespread adoption of advanced medical equipment: Leading tertiary hospitals are generally equipped with state-of-the-art medical devices, such as Siemens and GE 3.0T MRI scanners, Da Vinci surgical robots (China ranks second globally in terms of installed units), and PET-CT scanners. Some hospitals have also introduced cutting-edge precision medicine technologies (such as genetic testing and cell therapy).
• Abundant clinical research achievements: The number of global multi-center clinical trials involving China has been increasing year by year, and research achievements in areas such as new cancer drugs and rare disease treatments are being rapidly converted into practical applications, with some therapies even leading the international market.
II. Significant cost advantages: High cost-effectiveness of “medical care + services” combinations
Compared to traditional medical tourism destinations such as the United States, Europe, and Japan, China's medical services offer outstanding cost-effectiveness:
• Costs are approximately one-third to one-half of those in Europe and the United States: For example, the cost of a single proton therapy session for cancer treatment in the United States is approximately 800,000 to 1.2 million RMB, while the cost of the same technology in China is approximately 300,000 to 500,000 RMB; the cost of a coronary artery bypass surgery in the United States is approximately 150,000 to 250,000 USD (approximately 1 million to 1.8 million RMB), while the cost at a tertiary hospital in China is approximately 100,000 to 200,000 RMB.
• Innovative medical insurance coverage and payment methods: Some provinces and cities (such as Boao Lecheng in Hainan) have established “International Medical Tourism Pilot Zones,” allowing foreign patients to use imported drugs and medical devices not yet available in China, and reducing financial burdens through commercial insurance and installment payments.
• High hospitalization and service efficiency: Chinese hospitals have shorter average hospitalization durations (e.g., general surgery typically requires 5–7 days, compared to 7–14 days in Europe and the United States), and waiting times for tests and surgeries are significantly shorter than in developed countries (some tests can be completed on the same day), greatly reducing patients' time and indirect costs.
III. Improvement of the Internationalized Service System
To meet the needs of international patients, Chinese medical institutions are accelerating the construction of a “fully internationalized” service system:
• Multilingual medical support: Tertiary hospitals generally establish international medical departments (such as the International Medical Department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital and the International Department of West China Hospital), equipped with professional translators for English, Japanese, Korean, and other languages. Some private hospitals (such as Shanghai Jiahui International Hospital and Shenzhen United Family Hospital) offer fully English-language medical services.
• Alignment with international certifications and standards: Over 80 Chinese hospitals have obtained JCI (Joint Commission International) certification, meeting international standards for medical quality and safety; some hospitals have also received certifications from international organizations such as German TÜV and American NCQA, enhancing patient trust.
• Integration of “medical care + tourism”: Regions such as Hainan, Yunnan, and the Yangtze River Delta leverage their high-quality tourism resources to offer “treatment + wellness + sightseeing” packages. For example, Boao Lecheng in Hainan combines duty-free shopping and hot spring therapy to encourage patients to extend their stay after treatment; medical institutions in Kunming, Yunnan, and Guilin, Guangxi, collaborate with travel agencies to provide services such as ethnic cultural experiences and natural landscape tours.
IV. Cultural Identity and the Appeal of Specialized Therapies
The global recognition of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has increased, becoming a unique calling card for medical tourism:
• Accelerated internationalization of TCM: The World Health Organization (WHO) has included TCM in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), and over 180 countries worldwide utilize TCM; institutions such as the Guang'anmen Hospital of the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Longhua Hospital affiliated with Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine annually treat tens of thousands of international patients, with treatment areas covering chronic pain, gynecological conditions, and sub-health conditioning.
• Advantages of Integrating Traditional and Western Medicine: In fields such as oncology and post-surgical rehabilitation, Chinese hospitals generally adopt a comprehensive approach combining Western medical treatment with TCM therapy, which not only enhances treatment efficacy (e.g., reducing side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy) but also aligns with international patients' demand for “holistic health.”
V. Policy Support and Infrastructure Guarantees
The Chinese government has introduced multiple measures in recent years to promote medical tourism, providing institutional guarantees for its development:
• Visa Facilitation: Foreign nationals coming to China for medical treatment are eligible for expedited approval of “medical visas” (Q1/Q2 visas). Some countries (such as Russia and Malaysia) have signed visa-exemption agreements with China, simplifying the entry process.
• Cross-border medical cooperation: Through the Belt and Road Initiative, China has established medical cooperation mechanisms with countries along the route (such as medical cooperation along the China-Laos Railway and medical centers in Central and Eastern European countries), promoting models such as telemedicine consultations and joint diagnostics.
• Transportation and Logistics Infrastructure: The development of China's high-speed rail network (covering 95% of cities with over one million residents), international airports (56 international hub airports), and international cargo routes (such as vaccine and medical equipment cold chain transportation) facilitates cross-border patient mobility.
Summary
China's core competitiveness in medical tourism lies in its comprehensive advantage of “technical hard power + service soft power + cultural soft power”: it not only addresses the core needs of international patients with cost-effective cutting-edge medical technology but also enhances the experience through an internationalized service system and innovative “medical + tourism” scenarios. Combined with the unique appeal of traditional Chinese medicine culture and policy support, this positions China as an increasingly important player in the global medical tourism market. In the future, with advancements in medical technology, improved service standards, and deepened international cooperation, China is poised to become an even more globally influential medical tourism destination.