Sound social security system supports modernization

Editor's note: The Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development call for inclusive public services that meet essential needs and provide a cushion for those most in need. National Business Daily spoke to Zheng Gongcheng, president of the China Association of Social Security, on how this will be achieved. Below are excerpts from the interview. The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

The primary tasks for the next five years are to improve the medical insurance system, develop a nursing service network for elderly people and those with disabilities, and increase investment in child welfare. The level of basic old-age pensions needs to be raised and income-increasing plans need to be implemented to foster an olive-shaped income distribution pattern.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, it is expected that China's social insurance system will take full shape and offer all citizens a clear sense of security. This is both an institutional task and a substantial contribution of the social security system to national modernization and the advancement of common prosperity.

Over the next five years, China should optimize its medical insurance system through comprehensive reforms. At the same time, market-oriented health insurance is expected to meet the health management needs of the middle- and high-income groups. A multitiered medical insurance system with basic medical insurance at its core should be established. The coverage of work injury, unemployment and maternity insurance should also be expanded.

Care services for the disabled, semidisabled or elderly people living alone are long-standing demands. The challenges brought about by population aging, especially rapid aging, are becoming increasingly severe. Most older adults in China prefer home-based care, and the imbalance between supply and demand has increased significantly. The elderly care service network needs to be strengthened to deliver targeted services to those in need. For this, the integration of home-based and institutional care is crucial and can be achieved by innovating service models, promoting community-based and chain-operated eldercare institutions, and extending professional services to the homes of the elderly.

It is also important to establish systems such as long-term care insurance, family leave for adult children caring for elderly parents, preferential housing policies for those living near their parents, employment rights protection for older workers, and hospice care, as well as ethical review mechanisms for technologies related to the elderly. In rural areas, it is necessary to explore a new path of elderly care with Chinese characteristics, further improve the existing elderly care policies and narrow the urban-rural gap in such services.

Besides, although both the fertility rate and the working-age population are declining, China's overall labor force remains large. Employment policies must therefore take into account the structure and evolving trends of the labor force and align employment support with industrial development. It is necessary to improve the public employment service system, ensure better coordination between employment and industry and expand strategic employment opportunities in service-oriented fields such as eldercare and childcare services.

Strengthening mechanisms for matching labor supply and demand, enhancing employment support and public services, and building a lifelong vocational training system will help alleviate the structural employment pressures more effectively. The development of social organizations and charitable sectors can also create jobs.

Special attention should also be given to protecting the rights and interests of older workers. Employment channels should be opened for those willing and able to return to work, and corresponding legal and social protections provided to them.