I am familiar with this debate from another angle, which has to do with old friends of mine who have long been determined activists fighting against animal extinctions (rhino, tigers, elephants), the main culprit being poachers who supply the chinese traditional medicine market.
I have to say I am completely in line with the 2nd article, which debunks the interest in TCM.
This is an interesting topic and if I get a bit of time I will probably copy both articles here so they are accessible for discussion.