BEIJING -- Chinese researchers identified 163 new herb species during the fourth national census of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) resources, authorities have said.

The announcement was made at a two-day academic exchange event hosted by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (NATCM), which closed in Beijing on Monday.

Huang Luqi, deputy head of the NATCM, said that the NATCM has been conducting the fourth national census of TCM resources since 2011, and that it has yielded fruitful results.

The researchers discovered a number of new species and new sources of medicine, and launched special studies of TCM resources, laying a material foundation for the innovative development of modern TCM, according to the official.

The census also helped build a dynamic monitoring system for TCM resources, and promoted the construction of seed breeding bases and germplasm resource banks for TCM, he added.