Tianmu News:

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that it is a matter of social harmony and stability to ensure care, support, recreation, and security for the elderly. What measures has the MCA adopted to improve the elderly care system since the 18th CPC National Congress? What are the subsequent arrangements? Thank you. 

Zhan Chengfu:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the MCA has made great efforts to improve the elderly care service system. We have cracked down on fraud cases related to elder care, and established and improved the elderly care service system, ensuring that the seniors really get to know the accesses and places to obtain such services. I'd like to invite Mr. Li to make a detailed introduction.

Li Banghua:

Thank you for your questions. Mr. Zhan has made a brief introduction to the measures that we've adopted. The elderly care issue is something people are really concerned about, as we all have older adults as family members, and everyone gets old. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has made an important deployment to boost the elderly care service sector and establish an elderly care service system with Chinese characteristics. General Secretary Xi Jinping has made important instructions on the work regarding elderly care services on various occasions. Recently, General Secretary Xi Jinping made some important instructions on the aging issue and elderly care services during his inspection in Liaoning province. The MCA, working with the relevant departments, has ramped up efforts to implement the deployments and promote the progress of the elderly care service system with Chinese characteristics in the new era. Remarkable achievements have been made in the following five aspects:

First, the institutional framework for elderly care services has been constantly improved. Over the past decade, the Standing Committee of the NPC has amended the Law on Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly three times, with the issue regarding elderly care services being part of it every time. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council have released more than 10 sets of policies to promote elderly care services. The MCA has worked with relevant departments to roll out over 90 sets of institutions and set up more than 50 sets of national and industry standards. The elderly care service system has become a crucial part of the national strategy to address an aging population. 

Second, the basic elderly care service system has been continually improved. A total of 14.2 million elderly people have been covered by the subsistence allowances system, and over 3.7 million old adults have received extreme poverty aid. The subsidy system for the poor population of advanced age and incapacitated seniors has been put in place at the provincial level, benefiting nearly 37 million people. We have also stepped up efforts to develop a system to support and care for left-behind elderly people in rural areas.

Third, the supply of elderly care services has increased. There are nearly 360,000 eldercare institutions and facilities across the country, offering over 8.1 million beds, which is almost twice as many as that in 2012. A series of preferential and supporting policies have been released to ensure the supply of the elderly care service, such as land use, tax cuts, and fiscal subsidies. We have made the elderly care services market more market-based. As such, the supply of elderly care services has become diversified.

Fourth, home- and community-based elderly care has witnessed rapid progress. There are 320,000 community-based elderly care service institutions and facilities nationwide, accounting for 88.9% of the country's total number of elderly care service institutions and facilities. New forms of services regarding home- and community-based elderly care have emerged, such as home adaptations, home care beds, regular visiting activities, "time bank," and elderly-targeted restaurants.

Fifth, the quality of the elderly care services has continuously improved. The MCA has worked with relevant departments to launch a four-year special campaign to improve the quality of the elderly care services nationwide, addressing more than 420,000 hidden dangers. We have conducted a series of major projects to begin renovations of the institutions offering extreme poverty aid and ensure that the elderly care institutions will meet all fire safety standards. Thereby, the elderly care services have seen notable progress.

Going forward, the MCA will continue to implement the important instructions made by General Secretary Xi Jinping and the decisions and arrangements made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council so as to step up efforts in the following four aspects. First, we will promote the legislation for the elderly services to improve the institutional framework of the elderly care services. Second, we will improve the basic elderly care service system to foster a new development paradigm for elderly care services. Third, we will accelerate the development of long-term care services so as to further optimize the supply of services for the old-aged people. Fourth, we will ensure both development and security, and reinforce supervision over elderly care services in a comprehensive manner. All these efforts serve the same purpose, which is to enable elderly people to live happy lives.

Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you to all the speakers and friends from the press. That's all for today's press conference.

Translated and edited by Wang Qian, Xu Xiaoxuan, Zhou Jing, Wang Yanfang, Wang Yiming, Duan Yaying, Liu Sitong, Guo Yiming, Wang Wei, Zhang Rui, Yan Bin, Li Huiru, Dong Qingpei, Gong Yingchun, Yuan Fang, Xu Kailin, David Ball, Jay Birbeck, and Tom Arnstein. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.