Li Qiang presided over the State Council's ninth thematic study session

On the afternoon of August 26, the State Council held its ninth thematic study session on the topic of "Implementing a National Strategy for Actively Responding to Population Aging and Promoting the Synergistic Development of the Elderly Care Industry and Cause." Premier Li Qiang presided over the session. Photo by Yue Weiwai, Xinhua News Agency

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, August 26 -- On the afternoon of August 26, the State Council held its ninth thematic study session on the topic of "Implementing a National Strategy for Actively Responding to Population Aging and Promoting the Synergistic Development of the Elderly Care Industry and Cause." While presiding over the study session, Premier Li Qiang emphasized the need to thoroughly study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on elderly care, follow the Party Central Committee's decisions and deployments, earnestly implement the national strategy for actively responding to population aging, integrate the concept of active aging and healthy aging into all aspects of economic and social development, strengthen and improve work related to the elderly, and promote high-quality development of the elderly care cause.

Professor Wu Yushou of Fudan University gave a lecture. Vice Premier Liu Guozhong, State Councilors Wang Xiaohong, and Chen Yiqin made exchange speeches.

After listening to the lecture and exchange speeches, Li Qiang pointed out that population aging is a fundamental national condition in China for a considerable period of time to come. We must view the new situation of aging development objectively and dialectically. While we must attach great importance to the challenges brought about by aging, we must also see the new development opportunities it presents, as the elderly population is also a valuable resource. We must act with the tide, take the initiative, strengthen strategic prediction, and make forward-looking deployments, combining the response to population aging with the promotion of economic and social development, strengthening service, funding, and institutional guarantees, and fostering new development momentum in actively responding to population aging.

Li Qiang pointed out that we must strengthen service guarantees for "the elderly having adequate support," focusing on shortcomings and weaknesses, and continuously optimizing policies. We should strengthen the construction of home-based and community-based elderly care service systems, enhance the capabilities of day care, rehabilitation nursing, and home-based services, and explore effective approaches to elderly care services in aging communities. We should tailor the improvement of rural elderly care service networks to local conditions, expand the supply of universal, basic, and bottom-line care services, and support local governments in conducting mutual assistance in elderly care based on their actual situations. In response to the care needs of disabled elderly people, we should further promote the integration of medical care, elderly care, and health care, increase the supply of nursing beds, and develop long-term care services. We should conduct large-scale skills training to enhance the attractiveness of elderly care professions. We must strengthen the financial security of "the elderly having support," improve the national unified basic pension insurance system, and accelerate the improvement of a multi-tiered and multi-pillar pension insurance system. We must strengthen the institutional guarantees of "the elderly having something to do," actively develop elderly human resources, and create diverse and personalized employment opportunities suitable for the elderly. We must vigorously promote the expansion and upgrading of the silver-haired economy, strengthen the research and development and promotion of elderly products, continuously enrich elderly care service scenarios, strengthen quality supervision, and better meet the needs of the elderly.

Li Qiang emphasized that actively responding to population aging is a major strategic task of a comprehensive and long-term nature. All regions and departments should further enhance their sense of responsibility and urgency, formulate and improve policies more purposefully, address key and difficult issues in elderly care, and continuously improve the well-being of the elderly.