How to take better care of senior citizens

To meet the challenge of a fast-aging population and realize balanced population growth in the long term, China has been gradually easing the family planning policy. The new family planning policy that allows all couples to have two children shows the Chinese government's determination to address the tricky issue of low birth rate, which has been haunting many countries, especially the advanced nations.

Yet the brief increase in the newborn population and notable rise in the number of couples having a second child after the new family planning policy came into force on Jan 1, 2016, are not enough to reverse the trend of low birth rate. This, in a way, suggests the family planning policy should be further eased to tackle the aging population problem.

The replacement fertility rate is essential for balanced population growth and offsetting the aging population problem. Unfortunately, the two-child policy has not been able to achieve that.