With the progress of "The Belt and Road" initiative, China has reached extensive cooperation with countries along the Silk Road in many fields, including infrastructure construction, science and information technology, education and medical care. Among them, cooperation in international medical projects has led to the continuous improvement of regional medical services along the Silk Road.

Fu Wai Hospital has responded positively to "The Belt and Road" initiative to strengthen foreign exchanges and cooperation in medical services. On December 18, 2020, at the invitation of the Heart Rhythm Society of India, Prof. Yan Yao, Director of the Cardiac Arrhythmia Center of Fu Wai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, organized a three-month online heart rhythm training activity between China and India.

This China-India EP Fellow Virtual Training program lasted for 3 months from September 25 to December 18, 2020 and gained wide attention and acclaim within the electrophysiology field in India. During this period, more than 30 frontline electrophysiologists have enthusiastically enrolled for the program and more than 200 people have been trained.

Although the participating operators were already experienced in 2D electrophysiology, they were not yet involved in 3D electrophysiology for economic and policy reasons. In response to their learning needs, Prof. Yao designed and arranged six relevant courses, including the theory and practice of 3D mapping, the basic knowledges of 3D supraventricular tachycardia, focal atrial tachycardia and typical atrial flutter, outflow tract ventricular premature and branching ventricular tachycardia, and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. The courses were chaired by Prof. Yan Yao, the theory and standardized operation procedures were presented by Dr. Ligang Ding, Lihui Zheng, and Jing Wang.

In the current context of the COVID-19 epidemic, through online training, experienced frontline electrophysiologists in China have passed on their valuable experience and skills to Indian electrophysiologists without reservation.

The training focused on standardized procedures for 3D electrophysiology, significantly shortened the learning curve for beginners. The shared content that the use of 3D mapping systems to reduce the amount of radiation and use catheters to perform high-density mapping to clarify arrhythmia mechanisms, is especially suitable for young physicians. We hope that such online courses will continue in the future, so that more doctors can receive training and exchange activities online, helping more patients to get better treatment results with less cost.

The participating physicians also hoped that case sharing, discussion of failed cases and virtual operation coaching could be included in the course at a later stage to increase interactivity and better assimilate the advanced experience from China.

Since 2005, Prof. Yan Yao has been invited to India as an internationally renowned expert to participate in the 2nd National Congress of Cardiac Rhythmology in India, and has been invited to attend many conferences and lecture and operation demonstrations in many hospitals in New Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Ahmedabad. He has received more than 30 Indian electrophysiologists for specialist or advanced training at Fu Wai Hospital and has trained 5 Indian Fellow, contributing to the development and growth of the Indian cardiac rhythmology community and enhancing friendship between the people of India and China.

This event is a continuation of the offline Indian Heart Rhythm training program started in 2019. Initially, Prof. Yao was invited to New Delhi and Lakhnau for lectures and operation demonstrations, and later changed to online mode due to the COVID-19 epidemic. Although it is not as intuitive as the previous offline teaching, the online mode breaks through space and time constraints, is more flexible and practical, and has been demonstrated remarkable results.

The China-India Cardiac Electrophysiology Exchange was strongly supported by the leadership of Fu Wai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences at all levels, which is an important academic exchange activity to enhance the international influence of Chinese cardiac electrophysiology, and plays a positive role in promoting academic exchanges between China and India and improving the level of cardiac electrophysiology in India.