XINING, Dec. 19 -- China's first international cooperation base of Tibetan medicine was inaugurated Wednesday in northwest China's Qinghai Province.

Based in Qinghai University, the institution aims to promote external exchanges and international cooperation related to Tibetan medicine, according to the university.

Li Xianjia, dean of the Tibetan Medical College, said the university has been making efforts to push forward international exchanges and cooperation related to Tibetan medicine in recent years, building Tibetan medical centers in the United States and Japan, and forging long-term partnerships with universities at home and abroad.

"Tibetan medicine is an important part of traditional Chinese medicine and culture. We should encourage more medical, scientific research and educational institutions to participate in foreign exchanges and cooperation in this field," said Lu Yexin of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The base is expected to spread traditional Tibetan medicine in countries and regions along the Belt and Road, cultivate foreign students in the field and increase traditional Tibetan medicine's international influence.

As a major Tibetan-inhabited area besides Tibet Autonomous Region, Qinghai is a main center for the development of Tibetan medicine in the country.

In 2018, the total output value of Qinghai's Tibetan medicine industry reached 2.6 billion yuan (371 million U.S. dollars), accounting for 44 percent of the national total.