A visitor learns about a continuous positive airway pressure therapy device at the Medical Equipment & Healthcare Products exhibition area during the eighth China International Import Expo (CIIE) in east China's Shanghai, Nov. 7, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

Supported by a robotic frame, Li Ping, 70, took a cautious step forward, then another, inside a booth at the 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE).

Within seconds, the device wrapped around her legs seemed to "understand" and grasp her rhythm, gently propelling her forward. Her steps grew lighter, and a smile spread across her face. "It feels so easy to walk now," said the retiree who has experienced walking difficulties due to old age.

This smart exoskeleton, developed by Shanghai-based ULS Robotics, uses artificial intelligence to adjust to the wearer's gait and provide tailored walking assistance. "I have to buy one," Li said with a laugh. "I always wish to travel, but I could never walk far. With this, I can finally go and see more of the world."

At this year's CIIE in Shanghai -- an annual showcase of the latest global innovations -- the silver economy took center stage, with aging reimagined as a stage of life being embraced and enjoyed rather than seen as a burden.

By the end of 2024, China's population aged 65 and older had surged to 220 million, accounting for 15.6 percent of the total population -- a historic high in both scale and proportion. The government predicts that this number will grow by more than 10 million each year over the next decade. By 2035, the silver economy could account for 9 percent of China's gross domestic product -- up from 6 percent today.

With China entering a period of accelerated aging, the needs of more than 300 million elderly people and their families are becoming increasingly diverse, said Xiao Weiming, deputy secretary general of the National Development and Reform Commission, at a parallel session of the eighth Hongqiao International Economic Forum, held in tandem with the CIIE in Shanghai.

Recommendations of China's top leadership for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) call for greater efforts to tap into the potential of elderly human resources and promote the growth of the silver economy in the years ahead.

This demographic shift poses challenges, but it also presents a wealth of opportunities for domestic and foreign companies alike.

At this year's CIIE, Japanese company Panasonic showcased a smart home designed with the elderly in mind -- offering a vision of how technology can make aging more comfortable. One standout innovation was a bed equipped with a monitoring belt that tracks breathing and movement through the night, intelligently coordinating lighting, temperature and air quality to fine-tune the room's environment and ensure deeper, more restful sleep for older residents.

"Having entered an aging society earlier, Japan can offer valuable experience that can contribute to China's fast-growing silver economy," said Tetsuro Homma, executive vice president of Panasonic Holdings Corporation and group chief executive for China and Northeast Asia. He noted that the healthcare community projects, jointly launched by Panasonic and Chinese enterprises at successive editions of the CIIE, have been progressing smoothly.

"By leveraging the spillover effect of the CIIE, our company's aging-friendly products and services can reach Chinese consumers and global partners more effectively, while allowing innovations developed in the Chinese market to feed back into our global operations," Homma added.

Healthcare innovators are also making their mark, with U.S. medical device maker Edwards Lifesciences unveiling its transcatheter valve repair system, PASCAL Precision, at this year's expo. The system allows doctors to repair mitral or tricuspid valves without open-heart surgery, providing a minimally invasive solution that speeds recovery and lowers risk.

"China's aging population brings opportunities for us," said Ben Cheong, senior vice president of Edwards Lifesciences Greater China Region, adding that as the population ages, demand will continue to rise for minimally invasive and transcatheter solutions tailored to elderly patients, precisely the area where the company is focused.

At the CIIE, the focus extended beyond practical products to experiences that nurture older adults' emotional well-being, helping them feel seen, valued and part of a society that respects and celebrates them.

At its booth, France-based cosmetics giant L'Oreal unveiled a campaign encouraging seniors to embrace beauty at every stage of life. Alongside its latest anti-aging products, the initiative offers public welfare courses in partnership with a senior university in Shanghai, guiding older adults on managing their image and expressing themselves with confidence.

The campaign is meant to break the negative stigma around aging and promote a more inclusive vision of beauty, said Lan Zhenzhen, chief corporate affairs and engagement officer, L'Oreal North Asia & China.

"For years, the beauty industry has focused almost entirely on youth," Lan said. "Now, as the senior beauty market begins to blossom, a clear gap has emerged -- soaring demand from older consumers paired with limited supply that urgently needs to be filled."

Describing China's senior beauty market as a "new blue ocean" with potential like a mine yet to be fully explored, Lan said she hopes the initiative can make beauty a new driver of consumption for longevity.

Officials attending the CIIE called on countries to step up efforts to promote the high-quality development of the silver economy and improve the well-being of older adults -- as an aging population has become a shared global concern.

The United Nations projects that people aged 80 and older will outnumber newborns by 2035, and by 2070, those aged 65 and above are expected to reach 2.2 billion -- surpassing the global population under 18.

China shows that aging, rather than being seen as a challenge, should be seen as an opportunity for societies, said Nadia Rasheed, United Nations Population Fund representative to China. "Older persons should not just be seen as beneficiaries of the silver economy. They should be leaders of the silver economy."