China's Premier Li Qiang Addresses Population Aging and Elderly Care

Chinese Premier Li Qiang, during a State Council study session, emphasized the need to actively address population aging and promote the high-quality development of elderly care services.

Recognizing that population aging will be a long-term challenge, Li stressed the importance of not only acknowledging the difficulties it presents but also recognizing the new development opportunities it offers.

Developing Home and Community-Based Care: Li emphasized the need to develop home and community-based elderly care services, improving the rural elderly care services network, and supporting local governments in providing mutual-aid elderly care based on local conditions.

To respond to the care needs of elderly people with disabilities, Li called for efforts to promote the integration of medical and health care with elderly care, increase the supply of nursing home beds, and develop long-term care services.

The government will strengthen financial security to support the elderly, improve the unified national management system for basic old-age insurance funds, and develop a multi-tiered and multi-pillar old-age insurance system.

Li called for active efforts to tap into elderly human resources and create diverse jobs tailored to the population group.

He also stressed the importance of expanding and improving the silver economy to meet the needs of the elderly in an improved manner.

China, like many other nations, is experiencing a demographic shift. By the end of 2023, the population aged 60 or above had reached 297 million, including 217 million people aged 65 or above, which accounted for 15.4 percent of the total population.

This study session, attended by Vice-Premier Liu Guozhong, State Councilor Wang Xiaohong, and State Councilor Shen Yiqin, highlights the Chinese government's commitment to addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by population aging.