China's hospitals are attracting a new international clientele, but this time the tourists aren't coming for the Great Wall.
They come for the shorter wait times and significantly lower bills.
This medical tourism wave is a testament to the system's rising global prestige.
Yet its success hinges on a delicate balance serving the world without displacing the needs of local patients.
After that, whispers of unease about what's on our plates.
This week we take the soapbox to ask why does a simple strawberry grown bigger and brighter than ever suddenly feel like a question.
Is it a modern miracle or have we quietly crossed a line?
We're live from Beijing.
This is Roundtable.
I'm Steve.
Thanks very much for being with us today.
And for the show, I'm with Yishun and Xinyu.
First up.
Recently, the story of a British TikTok influencer who flew 8000 kilometers to China for medical treatment has been trending on both domestic and international social media, sparking a wider conversation about a growing phenomenon.
Patients worldwide, from influencers to everyday people, are increasingly bypassing their home systems for China's reputation for affordable, efficient and surprisingly swift healthcare.
But as this medical tourism industry heats up, some are wondering what this incoming wave means for China's own healthcare system.
And could the growing demand from abroad create new pressures and potential challenges for local patients?
Lots to discuss here, Yushan and Xinyu.
Good afternoon to you both.
Yeah, it's kind of a growing trend now, Yushan, we're seeing.
Yes.
Influencer, traveled all the way to China, shared her choice to travel thousands of miles for medical care.
And she first explained in the video that how she had been down well for some time with her stomach maybe.
And then added how it would take her at least two weeks just to secure a preliminary appointment with her local doctor.
Her name is Amy, right?
And on TikTok, she's known as Amy in China.
That's her handle there.
And she also explained that in that time, in two weeks, she could have spoken to a specialist, had loads of tests, including the camera down the throat, everything got all her results and been put on a treatment plan in that time in China.
So she acknowledged the dedication of NHS, the National Health Service in the UK that funded health care system.
But failed the system makes it difficult for patients to be seen and treated efficiently.
And then since she posted the video on November the 20th in 2025, it's gone really viral.
As of noon, January the 8th, 2026, the video has already garnered a staggering more than 666 views.
K views.
666,000.
Yeah, and 1,800 comments as well.
Yeah, people are talking about this.
And actually I have read through these comments and I have seen one of the netizens say that I am an NHS doctor based in Manchester and I completed my degree in China.
I believe many aspects of healthcare practice in China are highly advanced and I'm confident you won't regret.
So this person says, was responding to Amy, who's about to travel to China.
And then Amy did travel to China.
And her diagnosis in China took only just five days.
And it cost her less than 300 pounds.
So that's around $400, maybe.
Yeah, about 3,000 yuan or a little bit less, maybe.
And the results were generally positive.
So she was very worried about there might be an ulcer in her stomach.
But there were just a few polyps.
So they were removed when she was doing the camera down her throat.
And she felt really the procedure was efficient and quick.
And she left with a very positive experience in China.
Yeah, the whole process took 12 days because she did a biopsy as well.
That took about a week for the lab results there.
But yeah, 12 days in total, plus all those treatments for about 300 pounds or less than 3,000 yuan.
This isn't the first time, actually.
Back in 2024, there was a British blogger who posted a video on Billy Billy here in China.
And that video... detailed his stepfather's struggle.
He had a health issue that left him unable to stand.
So the UK doctors thought it was a muscle problem.
And then the wait for the MRI was and this is where it's a pretty shocking number the wait to get an MRI was 26 weeks.
That long.
That long.
So obviously very frustrated with that delay.
He decided to bring his stepfather to Shanghai for that treatment.
And they quickly diagnosed the issue there.
But they also came up with a complete treatment plan.
And that video, I think now I mean that was 2024, but I think it has about a million and a half views
So yeah, this isn't a brand new thing that Amy came here and did this, but it's something now that people are starting to do more and more.
More and more foreigners are posting about their experiences traveling here to China for medical care.
And lots of people are talking about it online.
So medical tourism, I mean, I guess it can mean some different things.
It could mean for cosmetic.
It means you come to a different country.
Yeah um, to have some sort of procedures done, and it might be for a health ailment, but it could be for cosmetic purposes.
There are a number of reasons why, but the point is you're coming to a different country, you're going to a different country to get some sort of medical procedure done.
Yeah, and many patients engage in these medical tourism because the procedures they see can be performed in other countries at relatively low cost or just without the delay and inconvenience of being placed a waiting list.
And some patients just travel to that specific destination to undergo procedures that are not available in their home country.
And what we can see is that a lot of people travel to here to China, and of course, they're aiming for maybe faster diagnosis and treatment and maybe also a travel around uh, the city.
Yeah, i mean yeah sure, if it's not an overly serious issue that would that would cause you to stay in the hospital.
Then you could maybe package it together with your regular vacation time.
But you're right, there are some different reasons that people do it.
One could be because of the waiting time yeah, the time that it takes for appointments and mris 26 weeks for an mri um, that would be one example.
Um, the cost.
It can be a lot cheaper than having something done in your own country.
And then, as you mentioned, you shouldn't just maybe not available in your own country?
Whatever service it is that you're looking for?
It's a huge market now, isn't it?
Global medical tourism.
Yeah, the global medical tourism market size was valued at $38 billion in 2025.
And it is projected to grow from $46 billion in 2026 to $250 billion by 2034.
So the market is huge.
And if we look at the market share, Europe is still dominating the medical tourism market with a 36 share in 2025.
But we have also seen China is becoming a growing healthcare country and it is rising, collaborating with international health care providers.
And also we have seen increasing government support to promote medical tourism with bigger market growth.
Yeah.
Different countries around the world are I mean, it's not just China.
It's not just countries in Europe.
There are plenty of places.
Thailand, India, Malaysia, I think Turkey is on that list as well, Japan too, Korea.
In Korea.
I think we're going to get to Korea a little bit later, but I remember when I was living there, medical tourism was something that popped up in the news quite regularly.
Yes. because of its popularity.
I'm assuming that one of the reasons and, as we discussed, there would be some various reasons that China would be a popular destination, but I'm thinking that the visa-free policy is making things a lot easier for people to come and get some procedures done.
Yeah, there has been several updates since the first announcement of these visa-free policies and now It's the 20 240 hour visa free transit policy, and it was implemented on the 17th of December in 2024.
It unified and extended the previous 72 hour and 144 hour visa free transit transit options to the whole 240 hours.
So 10 days.
And citizens from the countries covered by this policy may transit through China using this visa-free policy if they hold that their valid international travel documents and also interline tickets with confirmed dates and seats to a third country or region.
And that brings them the convenience of having the time to stay here in China and then maybe stay for a while and then travel to another country or region.
Yeah, as long as you've got your proper tickets and documents and all that stuff, then you're good to go.
And the policy applies to people from 55 different countries.
It covers 65 open ports across 24 different provincial regions here in the country.
I remember when we were talking and we have talked about the visa-free policy numerous times here on Roundtable
But when we were talking about the points of entry, I said that was such a wonderful thing because you know many people will fly into Shanghai or Beijing or the bigger cities and then go from there.
But if you have that many points of entry, open ports, 65 open ports all across the country, then it just allows people an opportunity to have a different experience.
And then, of course, with high speed rail, you can get anywhere in no time these days.
But that's a different topic. for a different day.
And the impact of this visa-free policy is very obvious.
So, if we look at the data as of December 17 2025, one year after the implementation of the policy, China saw some 40 million foreign nationals enter through its ports over the past year.
So that number was a 27% year-on-year increase.
And also, in particular, the number of travelers using this 10-day visa-free policy surged 60 compared with the period before the policy was optimized.
So we can see foreign visitors, they are grasping this opportunity to come to China.
And meanwhile, they are doing some medical tourism activities. this is another option for them.
Yeah, lots of people coming from lots of different countries all around the world.
But after China and Russia agreed to mutual visa-free access, some perhaps unexpected places suddenly became very, very popular with Russian tourists.
Yeah, small border cities in the northeast China's region like Hunchun, Heihe and Manchuria suddenly just found themselves flooded with Russians crossing over.
And what surprised many locals in these border towns was that, in addition to shopping, eating and sightseeing, these people were also heading straight for local hospitals, especially some traditional Chinese medicine clinics and dental offices.
They come for the TCM, huh?
Because they can just integrate it into your daily life routines or delicacies and everything.
A local tour operator in Hunchuan even mentioned that Russians are actually more eager than the Chinese to visit these TCM for acupuncture, especially for treating joint pain caused by maybe, cold weather.
They say, Chinese medicine not only works, but is also much more affordable, offering better value than what they can get back home.
One of the things that people were talking about.
You remember when the flood of American TikTok users suddenly joined Red Note right.
And one of the issues that they were discussing was about the medical industry.
People would talk about dental costs and going to the doctor and what the experience was like and And that was a good opportunity for exchange.
But it was a good opportunity, a cultural exchange, but it was a good opportunity to learn more about the industries too.
They were talking about that there.
Yeah, definitely through the Internet, you find out some things that you didn't know before.
So these US netizens and Chinese netizens, they were comparing these medical expenses and they found out
For example, an ambulance ride in the US can cost around 1000, but in China it's only about 200 yuan, so that's roughly 28.
And also for stitching up a wound.
US hospitals charge from 300 to 500 and sometimes even up to 2000.
But in China it's only 200 to 500 yuan, so that's also around $28 to $70.
And also one American even shared that he paid $10,000 for a gastroscopy.
Yeah, that's where they put the camera.
Camera down her throat.
Yeah, exactly.
And to check the stomach inside.
$10,000.
$10,000 for this measure.
And also a Chinese netizen said for the same procedure, he did it for like 2,000 yuan.
So that's how I think for the foreign market, Netizens, they came to realize it can be much cheaper.
Quite a shock, I'm sure, for people to learn how affordable health care is here.
OK, that's fine.
We know it's popular now and we know why it's popular now.
But what is this going to do or what kind of influence is this going to have on hospitals here in the country?
Well, there are many aspects that is influencing the whole industry and some of these hospitals, of course.
So foreign patients, they may pay higher fees for medical care because some of the patients I mean local patients they pay by using their national health care systems, which means a lot of the bills can be covered right.
But foreign patients, especially in international medical departments, where services are like premium price, more expensive, more expensive and they're not covered by the national health care system.
And this extra income helps hospitals invest in better equipment facilities and attract maybe top medical professionals, improving their health care for both international and domestic patients.
And as demand for these kind of medical service from foreigners rises, hospitals need more staff for these international patient care services.
And this also boosts jobs in related sectors like transportation accommodation, hospitality and benefiting the local economy.
Maybe also There are more interdisciplinary majors in the future, where people studying a foreign language plus medical majors.
Yeah, I think another advantage would just be the reputation, right?
Because if people come here like Amy or like that blogger in 2024 and they have a positive experience here because of the quality of the care and the affordability of the care perhaps that they can receive, with the number of countries growing around the world and we already heard the numbers of the market is expected to grow at What?
24 percent over the next decade or so
So if people come here and have a positive experience and they post about it on their socials, then that means China is going to be recognized globally as a place for international patients to visit.
And then that's just going to help the profile of the of the country's health care.
All right.
So those are some of the positives.
But there are some potential negatives here.
People are a little bit worried about overcrowding.
Yeah.
Some netizens.
They also expressed worry that maybe with the influx of foreign tourists They are coming to China for medical tourism.
And then they worry that the local hospitals they go to can be very crowded with foreign visitors.
Worried that they'll have to wait longer themselves.
Yes.
But actually in fact, if we look at the Chinese public hospitals, actually for local people, we go to the outpatient departments.
But for these foreign visitors, they can go to the separated international medical departments.
So these departments are established especially for these international visitors.
The size of these international services is strictly regulated by policy.
So it usually limited to 10 percent of the hospital's total capacity.
Yeah.
I mean, I think people are just worried that you know if people, if medical tourists, are coming here and they're visiting the hospitals here and they're paying a premium.
Right.
Because they're not covered by local health insurance, then the hospitals might prioritize that.
Because these patients are paying higher fees.
That would create a sense of unfairness for local patients, of course, especially if resources are being seen as being diverted to wealthier clients, foreign or domestic, I suppose.
But that could cause a little bit of conflict between hospitals and patients.
But there's really no need to worry about that.
Yeah.
First of all, as Xinyu said, there is a special department for international patients.
But it's not like you... the foreigners can only go to that department.
They can also go to the regular departments that the locals are going to.
But the thing is not going as imagine, like I pay more than I go first.
It's not like that, because the people just go to that machine, scan the code that you made appointment and then the machine just go and call you according to the order that you just got registered.
So I don't think that.
Of course it is been a discussion and it is a legitimate worry that more people may cause more longer lines.
But the system, I think it is just can ensure the order of everything.
Yeah.
Every, everybody can be happy with, with the system designed as it is.
I've been to the hospital here in China.
I don't think I qualify as a medical tourist because I live here, but I've I've been here just a few times for some minor, minor things, like you know flu during flu season and things like that.
Um, but my experience here has been really positive.
Um, I went to just get checked out for cold and flu.
I went into the hospital.
I was visiting for the first time.
I had never been there before, which means you have to register, right?
Because they don't know who you are.
So you give your ID card or whatever.
And then you get your little ticket.
You go upstairs and wait for the doctor.
This is at a big hospital.
And I think I waited...
10 minutes, 15 minutes to see the doctor.
The doctor immediately gives you your prescription.
You go downstairs.
There's a little machine.
You pay for your prescription and then you take your receipt to the medicine counter and they give you your medicine and you go home.
Maybe 35 minutes total.
Maybe.
I think the longest wait in that hospital was waiting to pay for the medicine.
Like the lineup at the counter.
I think I saw the doctor. faster than I had to pay or had to stand in line to pay.
So it became obvious to me at that time how efficient and how good the hospitals are here.
I was really quite impressed as a matter of fact.
Coming from Canada, I had a different experience.
Especially now, China is also promoting the more convenient online payment and digital healthcare code and everything.
You can just use your phone.
You don't even need to bring your healthcare card or something.
Yeah, they give you one, but you don't need it.
Yeah, and then it makes the whole process The whole process and also the waiting line even faster.
I mean, let me share that Canadian experience with you.
And I'm not saying anything bad about Canada.
And I'm not saying anything bad about Canada's hospitals.
It's free for us.
We don't pay anything at all.
But there's a flip side to that coin.
When I was 19, 20, 21 years old, I had to have surgery on my knee.
I had a torn meniscus.
So just a pretty simple day surgery.
Anyway, this is how long the process took.
First, you need to make an appointment to see your family doctor.
I had to wait two weeks.
So there's two weeks.
The family doctor said, you need to get an MRI from the hospital.
You need to see a specialist about this.
So I had to wait two more weeks to get an MRI.
Then I had to wait two more weeks to get the results of the MRI.
Then I had to wait eight months to get the surgery.
Yeah.
So add up all that time.
It was one year.
From going to see the doctor, from the original visit to the doctor to getting my surgery was one year.
That was many, many, many years ago.
I'm not sure what the situation is now.
But those are some of the complaints that people have.
And now you can see why Amy flew to China 8,000 kilometers to do things faster.
And that blogger from 2024, this is one of the major reasons that people do this.
So back on topic here what is China doing, or what efforts has China done, to boost the medical tourism industry here?
Yeah, in recent years many major hospitals in China.
They have started setting up their own international medical departments.
So, back in 2021, 13 medical institutions were officially designated as Shanghai Public Hospital International Medical Tourism Pilot Units and all completed the establishment of their international medical departments.
And, at the same time, some doctors are using online social media platforms to attract foreign patients as well.
So they are answering some of their questions and leave an impression that maybe someday, one day, if you are worried about your condition and maybe you have to wait for a long time in your own country, then you can come to China and we can take care of your condition.
So that's paving the way for future visits to China for treatment.
And also in October 2024, the city of Shanghai implemented the specification for service of international medicine.
So that makes the beginning of a new phase in the standardized development of Shanghai's international medical sector.
It's a smart thing to do, going on social media and answering patients' questions from different countries around the world.
It makes the barrier to entry non-existent, almost because people it's an intimidating thing i would think you know to consider going to a different country for for a medical procedure.
But even before you go, if you can have a conversation with a physician or with a surgeon about about the procedure, whatever questions you might have, it would really ease people's worries and concerns.
I think, And what we can see is that more hospitals are having these international medical departments and even more hospitals are built through these kind of joint venture ways, collaboration between China and other countries, bringing international services and also maybe international medical systems here in these hospitals.
Of course it's for local people also, maybe foreigners living in their residential area, or maybe for the medical tourists.
What about communication, though?
People coming from different parts of the world speak different languages, of course.
I'm guessing AI can help out with that.
Yeah, these AI translation tools enable real-time communication between international patients and doctors, or maybe even international doctors and patients, ensuring this accurate understanding of diagnosis, treatments and instructions.
And that is The way that when people are having these kind of issues more instantly and is an easier way to use these kind of tools.
But of course, now many, many Chinese doctors, they just really, really good at English.
Yes, the videos I watched on Bilibili that the blogger. sent her stepfather to Shanghai's hospital.
The doctor speaks really good English.
And these patients, they were very amazed and impressed by how good they're speaking their English.
So language cannot be a barrier.
Yeah.
Well, I mentioned before when I lived in Korea.
This popped up in the news that from time to time because it's such a hot thing Korean medical tourism.
In 2024, here's a couple of statistics for you on that topic.
They had a record-breaking 117 million foreign patients that visited the country, and that was an increase of approximately 93.
Wow.
Yeah, almost double the 610,000 that were recorded in 2023.
That's a year's difference.
Um, so I guess that that spread of people, you know, like we said before, when people go and they have a positive experience, they go back home, they tell their friends about it, they post on their socials and it and it really helps out.
Um and what I saw.
I had a friend who was a doctor in one of the larger medical clinics, uh in Korea.
And I was there waiting for him one day.
He worked in the, um, the cosmetic procedure department.
And while I was waiting, I was just kind of walking around like checking out the department.
I was curious about it.
And they have they had a room, an office with a long desk of international translators.
So they had native speakers of so many different languages there and they were there to assist the patients who were coming from other countries.
Because, yeah, I mean, sure, English, fantastic, but not everybody speaks English, right?
So having a service like that, I think, again, really helped make people feel comfortable.
If they needed to use those services, they were there for them.
It's kind of cool.
Korea, yeah, Japan.
United States, Thailand.
As we mentioned before, there's lots and lots of different places around the world that are really benefiting from their medical tourism.
And it's kind of cool to see that China is now climbing up that list.
In terms of their services provided as well.
I wonder if it will ever get to the point where it becomes like super luxury.
My friend again, who's a doctor.
He told me that in Korea they have services that if you were willing to pay for it, they pick you up at the airport.
The whole process.
The whole process from arriving at the airport to taking you back to the airport.
Everything is very much hands-on, so the tourists don't even have to worry about catching a cab or anything like that.
But that's like super luxury service, though.
I wonder if that'll develop here, too.
I think so because it just reminds me of another example which is taking place in South China's Hainan province.
It's in Boao.
It's called the Boao Lecheng.
International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone.
So it started in 2015, but it's already partnering with over 180 pharmaceutical and medical device companies from across 20 countries and regions.
And it's optimizing its service.
And also because of the Hainan Free Trade Port, the island-wide special customs operation.
So it it is able to reduce the import costs and also reduce the financial burdens for these foreign patients as well.
So the pilot zone received like 400,000 medical tourist visits in 2024.
And it has seen like the numbers coming up and up.
And the majority of them come from Canada Dubai Indonesia Spain, Russia and a lot of other places.
And the service they are just optimizing their service more and more.
The world truly is getting smaller and smaller and smaller.
Flying from Canada to China for medical tourism reasons.
