WEO congratulates the 22nd Beijing International Digestive Disease Forum (BIDDF) on a stellar congress
Distinguished experts gathered for a milestone event that marked a new chapter in digestive health, the 22nd Beijing International Digestive Disease Forum (BIDDF). Jointly organized by the Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University; the State Key Laboratory of Digestive Health, the National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, and the China Quality Association for Pharmaceuticals, this impressive event was held from June 13th to 15th, 2025, at the Beijing Jiuhua International Convention and Exhibition Center.
Under the theme "Innovation, Integration, Development – Building a New Future for Digestive Health Together," the Forum delved into key topics including early gastrointestinal cancer prevention and treatment, intestinal microbiota research, and the application of artificial intelligence in the digestive field. It also established a high level comprehensive platform for clinical physicians, encompassing continuing education, technical exchange, and exploration of new directions.
This year's Forum featured 29 combined gastrointestinal-hepatobiliary internal and surgical sessions and 5 satellite symposia, 34 academic sessions in total. It involved 658 faculty speakers and moderators, attracted over 2300 on-site registrants and 500 online participants, and included 22 international guests from 12 countries and regions who delivered lectures or moderated 91 sessions and presented 4 live endoscopic demonstrations. The Youyi Cup Digestive Endoscopy New Technology Case Competition saw a very interesting exchange of knowledge and views amongst Chinese doctors and their global counterparts. The China-Africa Health Forum also created a platform for meaningful discussions.
The World Endoscopy Organization (WEO) was represented by current President, Lars Aabakken, Past President, Hisao Tajiri, Past President, Jean-Francois Rey, and Past Secretary General, Dong-Wan Seo, with varying involvement such as keynote lectures, Advanced Diagnosis Endoscopy Course (ADEC) session, as well as live demonstration.
Jean-François Rey paid glowing tribute to China's breakthrough progress in technological innovation and product development, having personally witnessed the leapfrog evolution of Chinese digestive endoscopy from inception to international leadership. He firmly believes China will play an increasingly pivotal role in guiding global digestive endoscopy. Professor Lars Aabakken affirmed the developmental achievements of the 22nd edition of the Chinese Digestive Endoscopy Forum, emphasizing WEO's mission of global connection and China's continuously strengthening cooperation. He anticipated that this Forum would advance the specialty through in-depth exchanges, to the worldwide benefit of patients.
With 22 years of dedicated striving: the Digestive Disease Forum had sailed the vast galaxy of digestive medicine, with exploration of the frontiers as its sail and multidisciplinary integration as its guiding helm, expanding territories and scaling new heights. With 22 years of win–win cooperation: from transnational collaboration to cross-boundary integration, from interdisciplinary exchange to full-chain collaboration, the Forum had achieved breakthroughs year after year, edition after edition, demonstrating inexhaustible academic vitality and leadership spirit for the times. Looking ahead, BIDDF aims to continue to uphold the core concept of "a common platform for gastroenterologists, hepatologists, internists, and surgeons," thereby inheriting the mission, forging ahead, and fully promoting collaborative progress in the field of gastroenterology, injecting stronger momentum into the cause of human health. WEO congratulates BIDDF on the incredible achievement and looks forward to greater collaboration in order to elevate patient care.
