China will soon launch its fourth national survey on traditional Chinese medicine resources to secure the industry's sustainable development, according to a senior health official.

The preparatory work has been completed and a pilot program for the survey will start soon, covering six provinces and regions - Anhui, Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, Xinjiang and Yunnan - according to Wang Guoqiang, vice minister of health.

Wang, also director of the state TCM administration, made the announcement yesterday at the annual gathering of the country's pharmaceutical professionals.

The last such survey, between 1983 and 1987, indicated the country had more than 12,000 types of TCM resource, mostly in the wild. Experts say this is likely to have changed after more than two decades.

Professor Huang Luqi, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, said: "A new survey is crucial in drawing up major plans for TCM resources' management, protection and utilization."

Chinese medical theory is based on the body's balance and harmony. Among TCM components are herbs and therapies that include acupuncture, physical exercise and remedial massage.

According to official figures, the TCM industry posted a strong performance last year, with the output value up 29.5 percent year on year to reach 317.2 billion yuan (US$50 billion), exceeding that of the country's pharmaceutical industry.

Experts predict TCM's annual output value will exceed 1 trillion yuan by 2015.

Overseas markets, however, have granted only limited recognition to TCM, partly due to Chinese pharmaceutical enterprises' failure to obtain accreditation from markets such as the European Union, where TCM is generally categorized as a "food supplement."

Some producers argue TCM's clinical efficacy and the chemical composition of the drugs cannot be explained in scientific terms.

Chinese regulators have called for innovation in building clinical R&D systems, setting up TCM laboratories, facilitating technology transfers into the industry and improving R&D management and quality control.