The Development Research Center (DRC) of the State Council organized a Sino-French Roundtable on Aging with France's Victor Segalen Foundation, and the Suzhou municipal government, in the city of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, Sept 23 - 24.

Taking part were Chen Zhu, vice-chairman of the National People's Congress, Li Wei, minister of the DRC, Sun Zhigang, vice-minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, Wang Hongsheng, deputy mayor of Suzhou, and (name waiting for confirmation), France's ambassador to China, and xxx, the chairman of the French Reform of Retirement Commission.

Presiding over the opening ceremony was the DRC vice-minister, Zhang Laiming, with Sun Xiaoyu, chairman of the China International Association for Rural and Urban Development, delivering a summary.

The participants discussed the challenges and opportunities that come with an aging population, its influence on the economy and society, related medical and nursing matters, and career development, with some taking a positive view on aging and reaching a consensus on some issues.

Also present of the gathering were epresentatives from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Senior Citizen's Work Committee and Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Suzhou Government.