Chinese Premier Li Qiang has stressed the need to actively respond to the aging population and promote the high-quality development of elderly care services.
He made the remarks at a study session held by the State Council.
Noting that population aging will be a fundamental part of China’s situation for some time to come, Li said it is necessary not only to attach great importance to the challenges brought by aging, but also to discover new development opportunities brought by aging.
He stressed the need to develop home and community care services for the elderly, improve elderly care service networks in rural areas, and support local governments in establishing mutual assistance for the elderly, based on actual local conditions.
To meet the care needs of elderly people with disabilities, Li called for efforts to promote the integration of medical and health care into elderly care, increase the number of beds in nursing homes and expand long-term care services.
The government will strengthen financial security to support the elderly, improve the national unified basic old-age insurance fund management system, and develop a multi-level and multi-pillar old-age insurance system.
He called for active efforts to harness the human resources of the elderly and create diversified jobs suitable for this population group.
Wu Yushao, a professor at Fudan University, gave a lecture at the session. Vice Premier Liu Guozhong, State Councilor Wang Xiaohong and State Councilor Shen Yiqin participated in the discussions.
China, like many other countries, is currently experiencing a demographic shift. By the end of 2023, the number of people aged 60 or over has reached 297 million, including 217 million people aged 65 or over.
