An Introduction to Key Health Strategies in China

In this article Rong Huang introduces three health strategies in China over the past decade and offers related terms of reference.

The “health awareness level” reflects the proportion of people who have sufficient basic health knowledge among the total population.

According to the National Health Commission (NHC) in China, the health awareness level of the Chinese people reached a historical high of 31.87 percent in 2024 (NHC, 2025). As people’s knowledge of health rises steadily, the promotion of health and well-being has become a national strategy in the country, resulting in the implementation of a series of health-related approaches to achieve the overarching goal of building a healthier society. Health is not only considered a medical issue, but increasingly as “a significant social, economic, and livelihood concern, requiring macro and multidisciplinary perspectives” (Shen and Zeng, 2020). The following three terms frequently appear in discussions of health and medicine within the Chinese context, each representing critical aspects of the nation’s health discourse and policy framework.

Healthy China Initiative

健康中国行动

Formally announced in 2016, the Healthy China Initiative (HCI) is a comprehensive national strategy aimed at improving the health and well-being of the Chinese people (The State Council, 2016). HCI is an ambitious health promotion approach designed as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations. Within this framework, achieving universal health coverage is a paramount goal (UN, 2015). It also represents a long-term vision to integrate healthcare into all aspects of policy-making and social development across the country.

HCI considers health as a fundamental cornerstone of human development and social prosperity. It explicates a “health-first” national strategy, therefore marking a significant paradigm shift in China’s health policy from its traditional focus on disease treatment to a more proactive approach centred on health promotion and disease prevention (Chen, Li and Harmer, 2019). As such, HCI represents a critical step towards a transformation of the health landscape in China.

In response to complex healthcare challenges in China, such as changing disease patterns, population aging, lifestyle risks, and health inequities, HCI advocates a core strategy of “Health for All, and All for Health” (The State Council, 2016). It adopts four basic principles, these being “health as a top priority”, “reform and innovation”, “scientific development”, and “health equity” (The State Council, 2016). HCI outlines several key areas for health promotion- including the healthy living movement, the health and well-being promotion project, and healthcare service capacity enhancement project (The State Council, 2016; Tan, Liu and Shao, 2017). These categories aim to implement health services that promote “the wellbeing of people across the entire country” (Zhang and Gong, 2019). For instance, to improve people’s knowledge about health, HCI calls for the establishment of health knowledge dissemination and health promotion performance evaluation mechanisms, detailing expected outcomes on the “individual/family and society/government levels” (Jiang & Jiang, 2021).

More specifically, 13 major metrics in five sectors—general health level, lifestyle, health services and social care, environment, and industry—are introduced as the development goals of HCI (The State Council, 2016; Tan, Liu and Shao, 2017). These metrics include basic health indicators such as life expectancy, the mortality rate of infants, the number of registered doctors, as well as determinants that influence general wellbeing, such as the level of health literacy, air and water quality, and health services investment (Tan, Liu and Shao, 2017), reflecting a holistic vision of health.

Related terms:

Healthy China 2030 健康中国2030

Healthy China Action Plan 健康中国行动计划

A Global Community of Health for All

人类卫生健康共同体

“A global community of health for all” is the latest initiative from China as it seeks to take part in global health diplomacy. On 21 May 2021, Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, delivered a speech entitled “Working Together to Build a Global Community of Health for All” (Xi, 2021). This speech marked a crucial combination of global health and foreign policy, where health goals and foreign

policy are considered closely linked and mutually reinforcing (Fidler and Drager, 2006). On a national level, this also signified the integration of “a global community of health for all” into China’s overall health strategy.

Theoretically, “a global community of health for all” is an essential component of the more inclusive and alternative concept of “a community with a shared future for mankind” (Liang 2020; Wang 2020). This latter concept can be traced back to the classic Confucian idea of “Grand Union” (datong, 大同) in The Book of Rites (liji, 礼记), which describes a harmonious social order and an ideal world for all (Confucius et al., 2013). It also resonates with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) statement that health is a fundamental human right and the vision to achieve “Health for All” (Ghebreyesus, 2017). Contextually, “a global community of health for all” is considered as China’s response to international health challenges, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, demonstrating China’s active participation in global health governance (Liang, 2020; Wang, 2020).

The concept of a “Global Community of Health for All” seeks to transcend national boundaries and foster a collective commitment to health equity and universal well-being. It recognises that health challenges are inherently interconnected and require a united response (Liang, 2020). At the core of this concept are proposals for equality, safety, solidarity, cooperation, and inclusiveness in global health. It constitutes China’s ambition for international strategy and health cooperation by highlighting the moral imperative to ensure universal health coverage and the practical call for international health collaboration.

Related term:

A Community with a Shared Future for Mankind 人类命运共同体

Big Health

大健康

“Big Health” represents a transformative approach to healthcare, emphasising a holistic health value with an integrated healthcare system and supporting industry that addresses the full spectrum of health determinants and services.

The term “Big Health” can be traced back to the mid-20th century when China’s health community responded to the WHO’s definition of health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO, n.d.). The word “big” (大) in the Chinese language can be understood as, depending on the context, “large”, “inclusive”, “general”, “broad”, “comprehensive”, or “grand.” “Big Health” was therefore sometimes used interchangeably with terms such as “comprehensive health”, “one health”, or “holistic health” to demonstrate a departure from the traditional health concept of merely being not ill.

During the 2010s, “Big Health” was elevated to a national health strategy and became one of the fundamental guiding principles for healthcare reforms across the country (Yan et al., 2017). At the core of this strategy was a paradigm shift from disease treatment to disease prevention and health promotion. “Big Health” aims to reduce the burden of disease and improve the quality of care for all people at all stages of life. On the policy-making level, “Big Health” aligns with the Healthy China Initiative as well as the call for building “a global community of health for all” in terms of improving health outcomes and promoting well-being (Shen and Zeng, 2020).

“Big Health” gains new momentum with the advent of “Industry 4.0”, an imitative characterised by the integration of digital technologies into the health industry. Industrial leaders recognize the digital shift in healthcare, and China is embracing this transformation (Ho, 2017). Technological advancements such as the Internet of Things (a network of physical objects with data collecting, sharing, and processing functions), wearable devices, artificial intelligence, big data, and cyber-physical systems (advanced technologies integrated in healthcare systems, see Mittal and Narayan, 2024) promise new transformative synergies that enhance healthcare delivery, management, and outcomes. Researchers predicts that the added value of the health service industry will be 21.27 trillion RMB in 2030 (Tao and Xiong, 2024). The booming “Big Health” industry professes to embrace digital transformation in healthcare and exhibits high innovation potential and investment value. At its heart, “Big Health” is centred on improving the well-being and quality of life for people by leveraging the latest technological advancements and holistic health practices.

Related terms:

Big Health Industry 大健康产业.

Big Health Technologies 大健康技术

About the author

Rong Huang is a Visiting Fellow at the Institute for Medical Humanities, Durham University. She is an Assistant Professor at the Centre for Narrative Medicine, Peking University Health Science Centre, with research interests in narrative medicine, contemporary English literature and life writing. Rong also works as a Guest Editor at The Polyphony for its “Polyphony Meets China” initiative.

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