Vice Premier Urges Stronger Primary Healthcare and Advances in Brain-Computer Interfaces

Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong called for strengthening the nation's grassroots healthcare infrastructure while simultaneously accelerating development in cutting-edge medical technologies such as brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), according to state media reports on his inspection tour in Tianjin. Liu urged deeper integration of urban and county medical alliances, targeted support for underserved clinical fields like pediatrics and geriatrics, and rigorous regulatory standards for emerging medical technologies.

The inspection highlights Beijing's dual-track healthcare strategy: ensuring equitable access to basic medical services at the grassroots level while designating frontier fields like brain-computer interfaces as strategic 'new quality productive forces.' This approach signals continued state support for medical consortia reforms alongside tighter regulatory and standard-setting frameworks for advanced medical devices.

During an inspection tour in Tianjin on August 19, Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong called for building a high-quality, efficient healthcare service system and advancing frontier sectors such as brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), according to reports from Xinhua and People's Daily. Liu, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, visited community health service centers, specialized hospitals, and general hospitals across the municipality. He examined grassroots medical service delivery, clinical specialty development, emergency medical rescue team readiness, and municipal blood supply guarantees. Liu emphasized the need to deepen the national grassroots healthcare-strengthening project. He called for accelerating the construction of county-level medical consortia and urban medical alliances, ensuring continuous downward deployment of personnel and medical services to the primary level. He also stressed improving contracted family doctor services, actively promoting tiered diagnosis and treatment, and guiding the public toward rational healthcare utilization. Addressing chronic service bottlenecks, Liu urged authorities to expand rehabilitation and nursing care supplies while boosting support for underdeveloped disciplines, including psychiatry, pediatrics, geriatrics, and palliative care. He also highlighted the necessity of strengthening voluntary blood donation campaigns and improving medical talent development through closer coordination between medical schools and healthcare institutions. During visits to research laboratories and clinical facilities, Liu reviewed ongoing R&D, clinical trials, and early-stage applications of brain-computer interfaces. He characterized advanced medical technologies like BCIs as vital components of new quality productive forces in the healthcare sector. Liu instructed researchers and officials to reinforce basic brain science research, achieve breakthroughs in core technologies, and enhance original innovation capabilities. He added that local regions should leverage their distinct research and industrial strengths to identify targeted application scenarios while strictly establishing standards, regulatory compliance, and safety baselines. The tour coincided with the ninth Chinese Medical Workers' Day, during which Liu met frontline personnel and extended greetings to medical staff nationwide, urging continued dedication to public health and professional excellence.