Over 300 academics and other authorities in their fields from 26 different parts of the world attended a conference on Chinese alternative medicine held in the Portuguese town of Estoril, Xinhua reports.

The Chinese government-run news agency says the two-day conference discussed acupuncture, the teaching of Chinese alternative medicine, setting standards for the industry and legislating on it.

The report says that among the many speeches, workshops and forums was a forum addressed by European Traditional Chinese Medicine Association President Gerd Ohmstede.

The Portuguese government has set basic requirements for teaching Chinese alternative medicine, including acupuncture, which can serve as a model for other European governments to adopt, Xinhua quotes Mr Ohmstede as saying.