“The mission of China’s respiratory medicine in its next stage is no longer confined to bringing in ‘international experience’; rather, we must strive to produce original clinical evidence that may be written into global guidelines and truly benefit patients both in China and abroad…”
From September 16 to 20, 2026, during the 27th Annual Congress on Respiratory Medicine of the Chinese Thoracic Society (CTS2026), Prof. Bin Cao — President of the Congress, Chairman of the Chinese Thoracic Society (CTS) under the Chinese Medical Association, Vice President of China–Japan Friendship Hospital, and Head of the CTS Infection Study Group and the Young Investigator Study Group — gave an exclusive interview to a reporter from Breath Circles. Centering on the innovative design of this year’s congress, the transformation of respiratory clinical research in China, public health security, and the importance of standardized diagnosis and treatment, Prof. Cao shared his forward-looking reflections on the development of the respiratory discipline.
Cross-Disciplinary Integration and Real-World Delivery of Outcomes: the “New Tone” of This Year’s Congress
Prof. Cao initially noted that this year’s CTS congress has grown into the world’s third-largest respiratory academic conference, wielding pivotal influence in the international academic community. The 2026 congress has introduced innovations across many dimensions — the design of its academic tracks, the formats of exchange, and the presentation of outcomes — making cross-disciplinary integration and cross-fertilization of ideas the “new tone” of the event.
Chinese Scholars Are Capable of Leading the Development of International Consensus and Contributing the “Chinese Solution”
Prof. Cao said that when he toured the exhibition area this year, he noticed a striking change: the vast majority of exhibiting companies were Chinese, spanning innovative medicines, ventilators, bronchoscopes, AI-based management systems for chronic respiratory diseases, biologics, and innovative traditional Chinese medicine products, among others. Moreover, all of the drugs and devices on display had already been approved and launched, so physicians could apply them directly in clinical practice back at their hospitals after on-site exchanges and learning. The respiratory congress is no longer merely an academic platform for healthcare professionals; it has also become a key “stage” for China’s medical innovation companies to showcase new technologies and new solutions — a “real window” into the translation and delivery of scientific achievements.
He remarked with delight: “It is evident to all that, supported by the sustained growth of China’s comprehensive strength, China’s voice in international academia keeps growing stronger. This, of course, sets higher demands on our respiratory discipline: we must continually strengthen our clinical research capabilities, produce high-quality evidence, and translate research into products that benefit patients — on the one hand, to raise the influence of respiratory medicine within China’s healthcare sector; on the other, to build a Chinese respiratory discipline with international influence. Our long-term vision is to transform the CTS from a congress that ‘invites international experts to China for exchange’ into a truly international academic gathering that attracts respiratory physicians from around the world — especially from neighboring countries — to come to China of their own accord. Medicine knows no borders: the fruits of innovation must safeguard the health of the Chinese people, and also contribute to the health of all humankind. We look forward to respiratory clinicians across the country, researchers at research institutes, R&D professionals in the pharmaceutical industry, and patient communities joining hands and walking together, to carry Chinese respiratory medicine to the center of the world stage.”
During the interview, Prof. Cao also shared with us the journey and achievements of the China–Japan Friendship Hospital team in leading the development of international guidelines. This hard-won achievement won high praise from international peers, reflecting the international influence of Chinese research and of China’s respiratory discipline.
Advancing Standardized Diagnosis and Treatment So That Research Evidence Is Truly Implemented in Clinical Practice
“In fact, by the end of last year, China had already issued its first evidence-based guideline for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of influenza for clinical reference. The new edition of the community-acquired pneumonia guideline will also be updated this year, providing guidance for clinical diagnosis and treatment across the relevant specialties.”
How can standardized diagnosis and treatment be advanced so that research evidence is truly translated into clinical practice? Prof. Cao offered a practical pathway and a template.
China’s respiratory discipline has moved beyond the stage of pure learning and importing. The most important task at present is to conduct high-quality clinical research grounded in the real needs of Chinese patients, and to produce solid, reliable domestic evidence.”
As Prof. Cao envisions, in the future, the guidelines led by Chinese scholars and the clinical experience accumulated in China will become an integral part of the global respiratory care system. The platform for academic exchange, the industry–academia–research dialogue, and the China–international expert collaboration mechanisms built at CTS2026 mark an important step toward that goal.
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