Grappling with the world's biggest senior citizen population, China's President Xi Jinping held a high-level meeting with officials after the number ofpeople above 60 years in the world's most populous country crossed 220 million, 16 per cent of the total population.
Xi, who heads theCommunist Party of China (CPC) along with the members of the powerful Politburo of the party, attended a group study on the "state and future of a graying society" yesterday, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
CPC leaders hold such group studies to hold in-depth discussions on critical issues to work out appropriate policies.
The meeting was held as the latest figures showed that the population above 60 years has crossed 220 million people constituting 16 per cent of the total population, far sooner than expected.
Chinese capital is already feeling the heat with numbers of pensioners climbing up to 23.4 per cent of the total 22 million population.
The Beijing local government expects 30 per cent of the city's population to be aged 60 or above by 2030.
By 2020, the city will pay out 200 billion yuan (USD 30.7 billion) in old-age pensions and the amount is expected to surge to 670 billion (about USD 111 billion) in 2030, Li Hongbing, deputy head of the Beijing Civil Affairs Bureau, has been quoted as saying by the official media recently.
The number of those aged between 16 and 59 will decrease to 896 million in 2020 and 824 million in 2030, while those aged 60 and over will grow to 253 million in 2020 and 365 million in 2030, new data provided by the Population and Development Studies Centre at the Renmin University of China said.
China has already scrapped over three-decades-old one child policy, allowing couples to have two children but the policy change has not drawn positive response from the public as many fear second child will be a burden due to heavy costs of education and health care.
Addressing the study group, Xi while calling for stepping up efforts to improve health care and social benefits to old age population, also pointed to the bright prospects of the old-age business, given the huge demand for products and services.
He said government support should foster new growth points.
With the world's largest number of senior citizens, China has improved elder care, Xi said.
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However, much remains to be done and there is a quite big gap between reality and elderly people's expectation of happy twilight years, he said.
China has the largest number of ageing population, thus careful handling of the issue holds a stake over the overall development of the nation and people's well-being, Xi said.
He called for "a positive attitude" because the elderly deserve acceptance and respect from the public.
Respecting and caring for the elderly is a Chinese traditional virtue, and it should be carried out in modern times.
The elderly should also develop a sense of self-respect and independence, he said.
Xi urged continuous improvement in the elderly-care system by enhancing scientific study and learning constructive experience from other countries.
Pension insurance and medical insurance systems should be perfected and supporting policies should be provided for the family pension mode and showing loving care and service for rural elderly left at home, Xi said.
The elderly should be encouraged to play an active role in moral education and resolving social conflicts, he said.
