BEIJING -- Chinese authorities have called for enhanced support for developing traditional medicine of ethnic minority groups, in a document released recently by 13 departments.

While noting the increasing need for ethnic minority medicine, the departments proposed more efforts in intensifying construction of infrastructure for ethnic minority medicine and enhancing the use of ethnic minority medicine in medical and healthcare services.

They also proposed great efforts for protecting and stepping up research in ethnic minority medicine, and for working out evaluating standards conducive to advancing mass production of ethnic minority medicine.

"Developing industries related to ethnic minority medicine can help turn resource advantages into economic strength and will be beneficial to upgrading the industrial structure in areas inhabited by people of ethnic minorities, increasing jobs and income of local farmers and herders," said Zhao Wenhua, an official with the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Thirty-five ethnic minorities in China have systematically collected their own traditional medicine, yet the development of traditional medicine of different ethnic minority groups remains unbalanced and requires innovation.