BEIJING: Premier Li Qiang emphasized on Monday the importance of taking an objective view of the country’s aging population, saying that an aging population brings not only challenges but also hidden opportunities for development.
Speaking at a study session held by the State Council in Beijing, Li said efforts to deal with the challenges caused by an aging population should be considered within the broader context of economic and social development.
He urged government officials to provide better service, and financial and institutional support for this end.
To ensure people’s access to elderly care, Li said more work should be done to provide better at-home and community-based care services for the elderly and improve the networks for elderly home-care services in rural areas.
To address the needs of taking care of disabled elderly people, it is necessary to develop long-term care services, conduct large-scale skills training, and make the professions related to elderly care more attractive, he said.
The premier stressed the need to strengthen financial support for the elderly, saying that the nationwide pooling system of basic pension funds should be improved and the multi-tier pension system is refined.
As for providing institutional support for the elderly to continue working, Li said diverse and personalized jobs suitable for the elderly need to be created. He also called for greater efforts to expand and improve the country’s “silver economy” which incorporates economic activities that cater to senior citizens with tailored products and services.
Governments and departments at all levels should be more aware of the urgency and formulate targeted policies to deal with the priority and difficult issues faced by the aging population and keep improving the well-being of the elderly people, Li added.
Official data showed that China’s population aged 60 and above had reached 297 million by the end of 2023, accounting for 21.1 percent of the country’s total population. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
