China to build a birth-friendly society, enhance care and engagement for the elderly

China aims to build a birth-friendly society and improve care and engagement for the elderly in the next five years, Health Minister Lei Haichao said during a news conference on Friday.

To achieve high-quality demographic development amid a rapidly aging society seeing declining birthrates, the nation will promote a positive view on marriage and childbirth and further improve fertility support policies and incentives during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, he said.

"The comprehensive effects of childcare subsidies, tax deductions, and other policies should be fully leveraged," he said. "It is also important to deepen demonstration pilots for subsidizing nursery care services and develop affordable, integrated care services for toddlers and preschoolers to reduce burdens of childbirth, child-rearing, and education among families."

The nation will also improve and carry out maternity insurance and maternity leave systems and strengthen healthcare services for women and children, he added.

To improve care for the elderly, Lei said that China will improve policies for the coordinated development of elderly care programs and industries, optimize supplies of basic elderly care services, and develop integrated medical and elderly care services.

"We will promote long-term care insurance, improve the care system for the elderly with disabilities or cognitive impairments, and expand the supply of rehabilitation, nursing, and hospice care services," he said.

As part of efforts to promote the elderly's engagement in society, Lei said the nation will steadily implement a gradual delay in the legal retirement age, improve age-limit policies in employment and social security, actively develop human resources among the elderly, and expand the silver economy.

He also stressed that health and population services should not only focus on key groups such as the elderly, children, and women, but also the entire population.

"We aim to provide comprehensive services covering prevention, healthcare, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation for the entire population, to lay a solid health and demographic foundation for Chinese modernization," he said.