Basic nationwide elderly care service system a step closer

Yuan said relatively younger seniors in their 60s will account for nearly half of all elderly in the next three decades, creating a window of opportunity for China to implement retirement age reforms and increase elderly people's participation in society.

He also noted challenges in providing elderly care and sustaining the pension fund with a ballooning elderly population, longer life expectancies and expectations for higher-quality elderly care services.

During last year's two sessionsthe annual meetings of the nation's top legislative and political advisory bodies — the State Council, China's Cabinet, said that some functions of the National Health Commission would be transferred to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

It said the ministry would be put in charge of drafting policies and measures to address the aging issue and coordinating their implementation.

The commission will continue to devise policies related to the integration of medical care and elderly care and take charge of work related to the physical and mental health of the elderly.

The ministry said at a meeting in January that an elderly affairs bureau had been established within the ministry, and local civil affairs authorities would be required to set up such departments this year.

Meanwhile, China has accelerated the building of elderly care systems, with a national list of basic elderly care services released in May.

"Some regions have raised additional requirements and innovations based on the national version of the list," said Yu Jianliang, an official at the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

He added that central finances had been allocated to the building of related infrastructure in communities, and localities had been mobilized to give special care to seniors facing harsh conditions.