(Economic Observation) How will China's aging population of 60 years and over or nearly 500 million aging challenges be met in 2050?
China News Agency, Beijing, June 12 (Xia Bin) The "China Development Report 2020: Development Trends and Policies for China's Population Aging" (hereinafter referred to as the "Report") released by the China Development Research Foundation recently shows that from 2035 to 2050 is the peak stage of China's population aging. According to forecasts, China's elderly population aged 65 and over will reach 380 million by 2050, accounting for nearly 30% of the total population; the elderly population aged 60 and over will approach 500 million. It accounts for more than one third of the total population.
At the online press conference of the report, Lu Mai, deputy director of the China Development Research Foundation, said that despite the unprecedented challenges and pressures, the aging of the population also brings new opportunities for transformation and development. At present, we need to look at population aging positively, rationally, objectively, and comprehensively, and use policies to promote strengths and avoid weaknesses.
Faced with the challenge of aging, how should China respond? The report believes that the aging population has both challenges and opportunities. From now until the middle of this century, it is not only a period of rapid development of China's aging population, but also a critical period for the construction of a new socialist modernization country in China. It is essential to actively, scientifically and effectively respond to the aging population.
On the one hand, it is necessary to build a social governance system suitable for the aging society, give full play to China's institutional advantages, and adhere to and improve the social governance system of co-construction, co-governance and sharing.
On the other hand, it is necessary to create new kinetic energy for economic growth in the context of an aging society, such as actively supporting the development of aging industries and playing the role of "silver economy", or promoting the application of technological innovation in the pension service system and medical and health service system. In addition, the human capital development potential of the elderly cannot be ignored.
Chen Gong, director of the Institute of Population Research at Peking University, said that the key to actively responding to the aging of the population is to promote the governance capacity and modernization of the governance system. The main policy policy should focus on the keyword "governance". basis.
In addition, he said that he would improve the supply of human resources, develop senior human capital, establish a delayed retirement age policy suitable for Chinese characteristics, improve the health of the elderly, and encourage the elderly to re-employment and social participation.
Feng Wenmeng, director of the research department of the Social Development Research Department of the Development Research Center of the State Council of China, said that the ultimate direction of the Chinese pension service system is to build an age-friendly society. "The next ten years will be an important'window period' for us to deal with the aging of the population. At this stage, we should serve the overall situation of the modernization strategy in stages, adapt actively, and lead vigorously."
Feng Wenmeng emphasized that policy development must adhere to the principles of classified guidance and dynamic adjustment. The elderly population is huge, and there are significant differences in the dimensions of urban and rural areas and regions. Policy measures need to be classified according to characteristics of urban and rural areas, regions, gender, education level, and the health status of the elderly, and policy goals should be established according to the characteristics of different population needs. System construction needs to adhere to a dynamic vision and make timely adjustments according to the characteristics and needs of the elderly in different periods. (Finish)