Chinese Health Minister Gao Qiang and HHS Secretary Michael O. Leavitt Open Second United States-China Health-Care Forum

The Honorable Gao Qiang, Minister of Health of the People’s Republic of China, and Dr. Ren Ming-Hui, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation in the Chinese Ministry of Health (behind Minister Gao), met with HHS Secretary Michael O. Leavitt on May 21, 2007.

May 22, 2007 – The U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Honorable Michael O. Leavitt, welcomed the Minister of Health of the People's Republic of China, the Honorable Gao Qiang, to Washington, D.C., yesterday, as they jointly opened the second United States-China Health-Care Forum during the Minister’s visit to the United States for the biannual U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED). 

Prior to his arrival in Washington, D.C., Minister Gao visited HHS Indian Health Service rural health-care sites managed in cooperation with Alaska Native tribal communities. 

In 2006, U.S. President George W. Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao agreed to create a Strategic Economic Dialogue between the two nations.  The SED examines provides an overarching policy framework for existing, ongoing, productive bilateral economic negotiations and future economic relations.  Among the many opportunities provided by the SED forum, the U.S. Government hopes to strengthen the current U.S.-China dialogue on issues of health-care financing, rural health and food safety, and to further develop collaboration and partnership related to these issues.

Last revised: July 20, 2007