THE PAINSTAKING SELECTION OF "CHINA'S BEST" PRODUCTS One of our partners in China is the eminent physician and pharmacologist, Dr. Tang Xiao-Hong. In June 1997, Dr. Tang called together a symposium of prominent experts in the field of Chinese herbal medicine to discuss the selection of the most effective and safest herbal remedies in China. Those attending exchanged their views, knowledge and experiences. They pledged to support Dr. Tang's goals and made and made recommendations as to how the goals could be achieved. After the meeting, Dr. Tang organized an action team of six experts, all eminent physicians, and a support staff of nine, to select the best herbal medicines in China. Choices were based on effectiveness, purity, and safety, among other criteria. All are composed solely of pure, natural herbs and herbal extracts. China's Best herbal medicines were selected after an exhaustive study of each remedy in the group of two hundred herbal formulas that had won national and provincial awards during the past ten years and famous remedies that were known to the team members. Many, if not most, of the remedies studied are modern formulations of Classical herbal remedies that have been famous in China for many centuries. The team reviewed all biomedical experimental data related to effectiveness and purity, along with clinical data, some of which derived from double blind clinical trials. They visited manufacturing sites and studied the equipment and methods employed. In many cases, the team made recommendations for improvements in the formulation and fabrication of formulas. Dr. Tang expects to select approximately 50 products for export to the United States.