1.Secretary General Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang Made Important Directions and Instructions on Strengthening Aging Related Work

On February 23, the China National Committee on Aging held its 18th plenary meeting in Beijing to carefully and implement the important directions and instructions made by Secretary General Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang on aging related work. Xi Jinping, Secretary General of the Central Committee of CPC, State President and Chairman of Central Military Commission stressed that effectively dealing with the aging population of China was critical to overall development of China and wellbeing of the people. We should focus on the present and look into the future, strengthen top-level design, perfect major policies and systems with regard to childbearing, employment and service for the aged and cope with the issue in a timely, scientific and integrated manner. We should put this issue on the agenda and make great efforts in deployment and implementation during the "13th Five-Year Plan". Li Keqiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau and Premier of the State Council issued directions that the issue of aging population should be studied promptly and related policies and suggestions that are operable should be raised while compiling and implementing the "13th Five-Year Plan".

2.Action to "Actively Addressing the Issue of Aging Population" to be Deployed in "13th Five-Year Plan" of China

On March 16, the 4th session of the 12th National People's Congress passed the Outline of 13th Five-Year Plan of National Economy and Social Development, which deployed in a special chapter the action to "actively addressing the issue of aging population" and proposed to "launch an action to address the issue of aging population, strengthen top-level design, and build a system coping with aging population supported by population strategy, childbearing policy, employment system, service for the aged, social security system, health security, talent cultivation, environmental support and social involvement". The Outline made the deployment with regard to the work such as perfecting the strategy of population development, establishing and perfecting the integrated decision-making mechanism for population and development, implementing the policy of gradually postponing retirement age and strengthening development of human resources of agedness; and made arrangement in perfecting the system of elderly care service, establishing a comprehensive subsidy system for financially difficult elderly and disable elderly, promoting the combination of health care and elderly care service, promoting the construction of livable environment for the elderly, fully opening the market of elderly care service and strengthening the protection of rights and interests of the elderly.

3.Secretary General Xi Jinping Stressed Promoting Comprehensive, Balanced and Sustainable Development of the Aging cause

On May 27, the Political Bureau of Central Committee of CPC held 32nd collective learning on the situation and countermeasures of aging population of China. Xi Jinping presided over the learning and stressed that we should insist on combination of leadership of party committee, dominance by the government, social participation and action of all people, insist on combination of satisfying demands of the elderly and addressing the issue of aging population, try to explore the vitality and opportunities brought by aging population to national development, try to meet the increasing material and cultural demands of the elderly and promote the comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development of the aging cause. Xi Jinping stressed, we should focus on enhancing the thought of the society in actively addressing the issue of aging population; we should focus on perfecting the aging policies and systems; we should focus on developing the elderly care service sector and aging industry; we should focus on bring the active role of the elderly into play; we should focus on perfecting the system and mechanism for aging related work.

4.Long Term Care Insurance System Piloted in 15 Cities

On July 8, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security issued Guideline for Piloting of Long Term Care Insurance System, which decided to pilot the said system in fifteen cities such as Chengde of Hebei, Changchun of Jilin, Shanghai and Chongqing and take Jilin and Shandong as two key provinces in the pilot program. The insurance system mainly covers the insured group of employee's basic medical insurance in the pilot cities, planning to explore the establishment of a social insurance system for guaranteeing the basic daily care and medical care for long-term disabled elderly in 1-2 years. On the source of fund for the said system, the Guideline said, during the pilot stage, funds can be collected by means of optimizing the social pooling and individual account structure of employee's medical insurance, transferring the balance of pooling funds for employee's medical insurance and adjusting the rate of employee's medical insurance, and gradually establishing multi-channel and dynamic fundraising mechanism.

5.Report on Inspection of Enforcement of the Law on Protection of Rights and Interests of the Elderly Deliberated by Standing Committee of National People's Congress

On September 1, the 22nd session of the Standing Committee of 12th National People's Congress deliberated the Feedback Report of State Council on Study and Handling of Inspection Report on Enforcement of the Law on Protection of Rights and Interests of the Elderly and Deliberations. The session stressed that we should carefully implement the spirit of keynote speech made by Secretary General Xi Jinping when he presided over the 32nd collective learning of the Political Bureau in May 2016, implement the central policies and guidelines for aging work, fully implement the Law on Protection of Rights and Interests of Elderly, increase input and take solid cation to perfect the system of elderly care service, pay attention to and grasp the opportunities brought by the aging population to national development, try to satisfy the growing material and cultural demands of the elderly, keep enhancing the guarantee level for rights and interests of the elderly and promote the comprehensive, balanced and sustainable development of the aging cause.

6.Education and Development of Elderly Included into National Top-level Design

On October 5, the Office of State Council printed and circulated the Plan of Education and Development of the Elderly (2016-2020) to make a deployment in speeding up development of elderly education, expanding supply of elderly education, innovating system and mechanism of elderly education and promoting modernization of elderly education. According to the Plan, to develop elderly education, it's necessary to insist on the aging related work guideline "leadership of party committee, dominance by the government, social participation, action of all people". The increment of elderly education will focus on grass roots and rural areas, form a supply structure of elderly education oriented around demands of the grass roots, optimize the pattern of elderly education in urban and rural areas. The Plan has defined the key tasks, key plans and guarantee measures for development of elderly education. By 2020, "the elderly who often participate in education activities in different forms will account for above 20% the population of elderly".

7.Results of 4th Sampling Survey on Living Conditions of Urban and Rural Elderly of China Revealed

On October 9, the results of the 4th sampling survey on living conditions of urban and rural elderly in China were released. According to the survey, the Central Committee of CPC and State Council pay a lot of attention to elderly related work and include active addressing of the issue of aging population into national strategy. Party Committee and government at each level of regions have made active efforts. All walks of life have extensively supported the program, and the aging work and cause have made significant achievements. Prominent manifestations include: new changes of overall improvement are implied in the changing trend of elderly population; financial situation of the elderly has been improved distinctively; health care for the elderly has made an active progress; the aging industry and market keeps rising; social involvement and rights and interests guarantee for the elderly keep extending; the spiritual and cultural life of the elderly keeps in pace with the times; and the well-being of urban and rural elderly has been improved significantly. Meanwhile, it's still difficult for aging work and industry to get completely adapted to the objective requirements of fast population aging, which is still confronted with a lot of problems and shortages. There is still a long way to go for development of aging cause.

8.China Issued First Guideline for Construction of Livable Environment for Elderly

On October 12, the first Guideline for Construction of Livable Environment for Elderly was released to the society, which was jointly formulated by 25 ministries and commissions such as National Aging Work Office, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Land and Resources, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and Ministry of Transport. This is the first guiding document on construction of livable environment for the elderly issued by China. According to the Guideline, by 2025, a safe, convenient and comfortable livable environment system for the elderly will be basically established, the environment for "living, travel, medical care and nursing" will be more optimized and the social atmosphere for respecting, providing for and helping the elderly will be stronger. The Guideline has p0lanned five construction segments, namely, living environment, travel environment, health support environment, living service environment suitable for the elderly and social and cultural environment respecting the elderly, 17 key construction tasks, and put forward requirements of safety, accessibility, wholeness, convenience and inclusiveness.

9.Secretary General Xi Jiping Made Important Direction on National Old Cadre Related Work

On December 23, the commendation conference for advanced groups and individuals in the old cadre related work of China was held in Beijing, which commended 106 advanced groups and 306 advanced individuals. Xi Jinping made important directions. He hoped that old cadres should cherish the glorious history, never forget the original intention of revolution, maintain political nature forever, continue to be a firm supporter and model practitioner in comprehensive and strict party management, continue to tell Chinese stories, spread Chinese spirit and convey Chinese voice, actively contribute wisdom and strength to the realization of the goal of "Two One Hundred Years" and the great rejuvenation of China. Xi stressed, old cadre related work undertakes an important task of Central Committee of CPC in caring for old cadres, which is an important task requiring sacrifice and dedication. Over the time, old cadre related workers have been devoted and hard-working and made important contributions to the old cadre related work. Old cadre related work departments and individuals should carefully learn from advanced examples, perform their duties with heart and try to make extraordinary achievements on ordinary posts.

10.State Council Called for Fully Opening Market of Elderly Care Service and Enhancing Elderly Care Service Quality

On December 23, the Office of State Council released Several Suggestions on Fully Opening Elderly Care Service Market and Enhancing Service Quality. The document points out, elderly care service is not only a people's livelihood cause involving wellbeing of the mass, but also a sun-rise industry with a huge potential. In recent years, elderly care service industry has been developed rapidly in China, its industrial scale keeps expanding and its service system keeps perfecting. However, it is still faced with problems such as an irrational supply structure, market potential not fully released and service quality to be enhanced. The document confirms, by 2020, the elderly care service market will be fully opened, the effective supplying capacity of elderly care service and products will be greatly enhanced, the supply structure will be more rational, the policy and regulation system and industrial quality standard system for elderly care service will be further perfected, the credit system will be basically established, the market supervision mechanism will run effectively, the service quality will be improved distinctively, the satisfaction degree of the mass will be enhanced significantly and the elderly care service industry will become a new power for boosting economic and social development.

(Source: China Society News)