Beijing forum tackles the aging problem

Experts at a forum on ageing said that although China faces challenges in solving problems accompanying its fast ageing, the trend also presents many business opportunities.

"China's aging problem brings challenges for the country because it has happened so rapidly for its large population and is not easy to handle without an unsound service system," said Zhuang Weimin, dean of Tsinghua University's School of Architecture,at the 2015 Tsinghua Aging Industry Forum held on April 20 in Beijing. Experts, scholars and business people gathered to discuss the opportunities, challenges, and the development of China's aging industry.

Some aging industry experts wearing a white wig launch a 2015 action initiative under the title, "Future of Aging Industry", at the 2015 Tsinghua Aging Industry Forum that opens in Beijing, on April 20. [Photo by Zhao Qian/chinadaily.com.cn]

Chinese society has been aging since 2000 and by 2013 there were more than 200 million people above the age of 60, or 14.9 percent of the population, while the number of those aged 65 or more reached 138 million, accounting for 10.1 percent of the population. This figure is expected to be around 13 percent by 2020, according to the Civil Affairs Ministry, so the demand for services, while proving a challenge, also means opportunities.

The government is seriously concerned with the aging problems and has put a lot of effort into developing the industry in policies, systems, services, architecture, and products.

And a Beijing Social Administration Vocational College professor, Cheng Haijun, told the gathering that the government came up with policies in 2014 related to land, finance, talent, nursing homes, home care, and governmental purchase, but that they still need more work on the relations between government, markets and society to get each part to play a better role in 2015.

In dealing with the aging problem, the country needs to be more aware of the aging time table, or, as Yang Yansui, a professor in Tsinghua's School of Public Policy and Management, put it, "Ordinary Chinese, especially the decision-makers, should have more common sense about how to define aging, so they can prepare for the aging problem and how to cope with it."

Yang went on to explain that ordinary folk should know how to calculate the age of senior citizens who expect to get a pension and this should be a matter of common sense so that each person could make their own plan. She also said that how an aging society develops, the ability of the younger generation to support the elderly, and the contribution of the aged people determine whether a society's aging economy is harmonious, and the three aspects are something that China needs to improve.

The forum, sponsored by Tsinghua's School of Architecture, the Tsinghua Holdings Human Settlements Group, and Tsinghua Tongheng Design Institute, pulled in more than 1,800 participants.

Experts exchange ideas on policies that the market expects at 2015 Tsinghua Aging Industry Forum, on April 20 in Beijing.[Photo by Zhao Qian/chinadaily.com.cn]