An aging population is a challenge for China. At the end of 2018, the number of those age 60 and above was 249.49 million, accounting for 17.9 percent of the total population, while the number of those age 65 and above was 166.58 million, representing 11.9 percent of the total population.  According to the China National Committee on Aging, by 2030, the number of people age 60 and above in China will reach 370 million, accounting for 25.3 percent of the total population. By 2053, the number of people 60 and above will touch 487 million, accounting for 34.9 percent of the total population.  Due to the country's family planning policies, a majority of Chinese families have faced a situation in which two breadwinners have had to care for four elderly people while raising one child, which weakens the family's ability to care for the elderly.  At the same time, China's eldercare industry lacks institutional support, and there is a gap between urban and rural areas.  The long-term care insurance system is still in the pilot stage, and the development of the eldercare industry is hindered by a lack of institutional support and funds.  A large number of young laborers from the countryside have moved to the cities, leaving elderly people unattended in rural areas. This results in an increase in the aging population in rural areas compared with urban areas. Therefore, it is extremely important to build a medical care system to respond to the problem.  In the next 10 years, we need to speed up the building of an elderly care and medical service system and enact suitable laws and regulations.  First, we should strengthen the convergence of eldercare and medical service policies, for which we need to explore the establishment of an integrated medical care system. An eldercare and medical service system can meet diverse needs of the elderly population and integrate resources such as families, communities, hospitals and elderly care institutions.  We should expand . . . . . read more