Chinese Medical Association

What Chinese Medical Association does

The Chinese Medical Association (CMA) is a non-profit national academic organization established in 1915 in Beijing, China, serving as the primary bridge between the Chinese government and the medical professional community. CMA operates 89 specialty societies covering all major medical disciplines and serves approximately 700,000 medical professional members across China, including physicians, specialists, and researchers. The organization publishes 191 medical and popular science journals in print and electronic formats, along with books and over 3,000 audio-visual and digital products, making it the most comprehensive medical publishing platform in China.

CMA's core functions include developing domestic and international medical academic exchange activities, discovering and cultivating medical talents, conducting continuing medical education and specialist training, implementing medical project evaluation and science/technology decision-making demonstration, and undertaking government-entrusted functions including medical malpractice technical appraisal. The organization runs flagship international exchange programs including Chinese-French Medical Week (since 1980, co-organized with Servier Pharmaceutical), the Takeda Science Foundation Scholarship Program (since 1981, sending nearly 200 physicians to Japan for training), and Beijing-Hong Kong Medical Exchange (since 1997, jointly with Hong Kong Medical Association). CMA generates revenue through journal subscriptions, membership fees, conference fees, and government-supported training programs such as the Thousand Talents Cultivation Program for County Hospitals, which trained 207 doctors across 10 provinces through partnerships with 37 Class-A tertiary hospitals.

The organization is governed by an elected council, currently the 26th Council led by President Zhao Yupei (elected May 2021), with headquarters at 42 Dongsi Xidajie, Beijing. CMA's competitive position is anchored by its governmental mandate, century-old institutional brand, unmatched professional network scale, and ecosystem of specialty societies that collectively create significant barriers to entry in China's medical professional services market.

Name

Chinese Medical Association

Legal name

Chinese Medical Association

Website

https://en.cma.org.cn

Company type

Private

Founded year

1915

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Chinese Medical Association is a non-profit national academic organization established in 1915 that serves approximately 700,000 medical professionals across China through 89 specialty societies. It publishes 191 medical journals, conducts continuing education programs, and operates as the official bridge between the Chinese government and medical professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Medical Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare & Clinical Professional Development (CME/CE) (EDAGANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Healthcare & Medical Congresses (MPAGAGAF), Medical & Clinical Reference (Physicians, Nursing, Allied Health) (EDAGAGAA)

Keywords

• Medical professional association
• Medical journal publishing
• Continuing medical education
• Medical specialty societies
• Medical academic exchange

Headquarters

HQ city

Beijing

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Publishing and Media: CMA publishes 191 medical and popular science journals including print and electronic formats, books, and over 3,000 audio-visual and digital products. Revenue is generated through journal subscriptions, book sales, and digital product licensing.
2. Membership Services: CMA serves approximately 700,000 medical professional members in China through 89 specialty societies. Membership fees contribute to organizational operations.
3. Conferences and Events: The association organizes domestic and international medical academic exchange conferences and events including Chinese-French Medical Week, Beijing-Hong Kong Medical Exchanges, and various specialty society conferences.
4. Training Programs: CMA conducts continuing medical education projects and specialist training programs, including the Thousand Talents Cultivation Program for county hospitals, generating revenue through training fees and government support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Chinese Medical Association (CMA) is a non-profit national academic organization that serves as the official linkage between the Chinese government and medical professionals. It develops domestic and international medical academic exchange activities, discovers and cultivates medical talents, publishes 191 medical and popular science journals along with over 3,000 audio-visual and digital products, runs continuing medical education projects, and coordinates 89 specialty societies serving approximately 700,000 members.

Product overview

The Chinese Medical Association (CMA) operates as a non-profit national academic organization that serves as a platform-plus-modules architecture offering multiple interconnected products and services. The core offerings include: (1) Medical Journals Publishing — 191 medical and popular science journals across print, electronic, audio-visual, and digital formats; (2) 89 Specialty Societies — professional organizations covering various medical disciplines for networking and academic exchange; (3) Exchange Programs — including Chinese-French Medical Week, Takeda Science Foundation Scholarship, and Beijing-Hong Kong Medical Exchange; (4) Thousand Talents Cultivation Program — health poverty alleviation initiative for county hospitals; (5) Conference Calendar — international congress listings; and (6) Continuing Medical Education — training and professional development. These products work together to support CMA's mission of developing domestic and international medical academic exchange, discovering and cultivating medical talents, and promoting medical science and technology development in China.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Medical Journals Publishing CMA publishes 191 medical and popular science journals including print and electronic formats, books, and over 3,000 products including audio-visual and digital publications, distributed through institutional subscriptions to hospitals, medical schools, and research institutions.
• Thousand Talents Cultivation Program for County Hospitals A health poverty alleviation program that improves grassroots doctors' abilities in diagnosis and treatment of common diseases through 'going down to grassroots to offer help' and 'ushering in grassroots medical staffs for training' approaches. CMA partners with 37 Class-A tertiary hospitals to provide 5-month professional training for core-member doctors from county hospitals across 10 provinces.
• Continuing Medical Education and Training CMA carries out continuing medical education projects and trains specialists, implementing medical project evaluation and review as well as science and technology decision-making demonstration for medical professionals across China.
• Chinese-French Medical Week Annual medical exchange program jointly organized by CMA and the Servier Pharmaceutical Company since 2006 (originally initiated as Chinese-French Medical Fortnight in 1980), facilitating academic collaboration between Chinese and French medical professionals.
• Takeda Science Foundation Scholarship Program Scholarship program for young physicians from mainland China, Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines, South Korea, Indonesia and other developing countries to receive senior training at Japan medical research institutes and hospitals. Nearly 200 Chinese physicians have been selected over 30+ years.
• Beijing-Hong Kong Medical Exchange Annual conference held 13+ times (8 times in mainland China and 5 times in Hong Kong) to enhance cooperation in medical sciences between mainland China and Hong Kong, covering topics such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, community healthcare, and disaster recovery.
• CMA Conference Calendar International congress calendar listing medical conferences and events organized or hosted by CMA, including the Asia Pacific Congress of Aerospace Medicine and Chinese Congress of Aerospace Medicine, facilitating participation by medical professionals in academic gatherings.

Quantifiable outcome

• 700,000 medical professionals served through 89 specialty societies
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 37 Class-A Tertiary Comprehensive HospitalscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017CMA signed entrusted orientation training agreements with 37 Class-A tertiary comprehensive hospitals for the Thousand Talents Cultivation Program for county hospitals. These hospitals provide 5-month professional training for core-member doctors from county hospitals in 10 provinces to improve their abilities in standard diagnosis and treatment of common diseases.
• European Commission Erasmus+ Program (KeTLOD)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016More than 10 universities and many medical institutions jointly applied to the European Commission Erasmus+ Project for Knowledge Transfer and Leadership in Organ Donation from Europe to China (KeTLOD) in 2016 under the guidance of the Joint Statement of China-EU Education Cooperation. Chinese organ donation supervisors were trained through this program, which carried out undergraduate education on organ donation in Chinese universities by 2019.
• Red Cross Society of ChinacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Red Cross Society of China participates as a third party in organ donation coordination. They established a human organ donation center responsible for promoting organ donation through various channels. This partnership enables the coordination between government health authorities and civil society organizations for organ donation programs. The Law of Red Cross Society was revised in May 2017 to further support organ donation promotion.
• International Organ Donation and Transplant CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006International experts from Spain, France, Italy, Germany, and the United States have been providing assistance and guidance to China since 2006 in organ donation policy, propaganda, coordinator training, and organ procurement organization operations. They published articles with Chinese experts in international authority journals and participated in China's transplant reform.
• Hong Kong Medical AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997Beijing-Hong Kong Medical Exchange (BHKME) annual conference initiated in 1997, jointly organized by CMA and Hong Kong Medical Association. The program has been held for 13+ sessions (8 times in mainland China and 5 times in Hong Kong), covering topics like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, community healthcare, and disaster recovery. After the Wenchuan earthquake, the 11th BHKME was held in Chengdu in October 2009 to support rehabilitation efforts.
• Takeda Science FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1981Since 1981, CMA has been authorized to administer the Takeda Science Foundation Scholarship Program in China. During 30+ years, nearly 200 young Chinese physicians and researchers have been selected and sent to study at Japanese medical research institutes. The program serves physicians from mainland China, Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines, South Korea, Indonesia and other developing countries.
• Servier Pharmaceutical CompanyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 March 1980Since 2006, Servier Pharmaceutical Company co-organizes the Joint French-Medical Federation of China (JMFC) with CMA for the Chinese-French Medical Week program. Originally named Chinese-French Medical Fortnight (CFMF), the program was initiated in 1980 to enhance communications and cooperation between China and France in medical sciences. Servier has been a long-standing partner since the program's transformation in 2006.
• Department of Health Service of Air FranceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 1980In the beginning, Chinese-French Medical Fortnight was jointly organized by Department of Health Service of Air France, Servier Pharmaceutical Company, and Ministry of Health of PRC. This early partnership established the foundation for ongoing medical exchange between China and France.
• France-China Medical Exchange CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 1979The France-China Medical Exchange Committee proposed the Chinese-French Medical Week during their visit to China in April 1979, leading to the first session in March-April 1980. This committee has been instrumental in establishing the medical exchange relationship between the two countries.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Australian Medical Association (AMA Australia): Australia's national medical association with CME, journals, and policy advocacy. Comparable Anglosphere national association peer with similar scale and member services model.
• Indian Medical Association (IMA): India's national medical professional association with comparable membership scale and CME/publishing functions. Comparable emerging-economy peer operating in the same physician-association category as CMA.
• Bundesärztekammer (German Medical Association): Germany's national medical association (federal chamber) managing CME, professional regulation, and physician advocacy. Comparable continental European peer to CMA.
• Japanese Medical Association (JMA): Japan's national medical association engaged in CME, medical publishing, and physician advocacy. Direct Asian counterpart with comparable structure; CMA has an active scholarship partnership via the Takeda Science Foundation program.
• American Medical Association (AMA): U.S. national medical professional association that similarly publishes journals (JAMA), accredits CME, advocates with government, and serves physicians as a member organization. Most structurally comparable peer to CMA in scale and mission.
• British Medical Association (BMA): U.K. national medical association providing CME, publishing (BMJ), professional advocacy, and specialty society coordination — direct functional parallel to CMA with comparable member services and policy roles.
• Korean Medical Association (KMA): South Korea's principal physician association providing CME, advocacy, and specialty coordination. Comparable East Asian peer operating with similar functions and Asia-facing focus.
• Canadian Medical Association (CMA Canada): Canada's national medical association delivering CME, journals (CMAJ), policy advocacy, and member services. Functionally equivalent to CMA in structure and revenue mix (memberships, publications, conferences).
• Hong Kong Medical Association (HKMA): Hong Kong's national medical association and CMA's direct Beijing-Hong Kong Medical Exchange partner since 1997. Closest regional peer with explicit ongoing collaboration via the BHKME program.

Broad incumbents

• World Medical Association (WMA): International umbrella body representing national medical associations worldwide — broader incumbent that CMA interacts with in international medical exchange, but not a single-country member-services competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Chinese Medical Association