(Yicai) Jan. 20 -- Most international patients currently receiving medical treatment in China are foreigners who already live and work in the country, Yicai learned from numerous sources. Despite rumors on social media that China is becoming a popular medical tourism destination, the number of patients traveling to China specifically for medical treatment remains quite small.

"Recently, there have been posts on several social media platforms suggesting that as China’s visa-free entry policies become more relaxed, more foreigners are flying to China for healthcare, attracted by what they see as China’s efficient, affordable and technologically advanced medical services."

The International Medical Department of the Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center under Guangzhou Medical University has treated 152 foreign patients since it opened in July last year, Yicai learned from informed sources. However, most of these patients were foreigners working in China.

Some visitors also take advantage of China's visa-free entry to try out traditional Chinese medicine while traveling. One example is Tania Mara Brasileiro from Brazil, who took her family of six to China for the first time in December 2025 and all of them received traditional Chinese medicine treatment during their trip. "This is quite rare among foreign tourists," their local tour guide surnamed Zhang told Yicai.

For a long time, China has been a major exporter of cross-border medical demand. Approximately 800,000 Chinese citizens travel abroad each year seeking medical treatment, making China one of the world’s largest sources of overseas medical consumption, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council's report "A Prescription for a Healthier Economy."

By contrast, China’s intake of foreign patents remains relatively small, resulting in a sizable deficit in cross-border medical tourism. Turning this deficit into a surplus will take a long time, according to Yicai research.

Growth Potential

Saint Lucia Consulting started to attract patients from neighboring countries to seek medical services in China at the end of last year, said Cai Qiang, chairman of the global medical consulting firm. They are now in the process of forming partnerships with the international departments of several top hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai and other cities.

China's medical standards are advancing rapidly and innovative drugs are reaching the market faster, Cai said. Combined with looser visa policies, China faces significant opportunities to develop cross-border medical tourism. However, overseas promotion remains limited, meaning many potential patients are still unaware of these options.

"South Korea receives over one million overseas patients every year, while the number coming to China is almost negligible,” Cai said. “Indonesia has seen 1.5 million patients seek treatment abroad, but most go to Malaysia, Singapore, Japan or the United States, with only a very small share coming to China.”

Key Hurdles

There are still many issues that need to be addressed if China hopes to attract more international patients.

For instance, a recent patient from Venezuela who was suffering from chronic lymphocytic leukemia was unable to continue treatment in China because his private insurance did not cover the cost of China’s innovative drugs, the director of the lymphoma department at a specialized oncology hospital in northern China told Yicai. Paying entirely out of his own pocket would have been too costly, so the patient did not proceed with further treatment.

Visa issues are another hurdle, Cai said. International patients usually enter China on tourist visas, which have strict time limits. For patients with serious illnesses who require surgery, the current maximum stay of 30 days may not be sufficient for them to recover.

In addition, cross-border payment systems for medical expenses still need improvement and insurance coverage for international medical treatment in China remains underdeveloped.

Editor: Kim Taylor