March 2024

NPC deputy proposes implementing inclusive basic pensions for elderly aged 65 in China

A deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC) Zhou Jinbo proposed the implementation of an inclusive basic pension system in China for those aged 65 and above who are not currently receiving a pension, Chinese media outlet thepaper.cn reported on Monday. Zhou suggested establishing an inclusive basic pension system so that those elderly can receive a regular income to meet their basic living needs, and enjoy a dignified life in their twilight years and enhance their sense of achievement and...

February 2024

Does aging society mean economic slowdown in China?

As China is busy preparing for the annual two sessions of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), some Western media have been enthusiastically hyping that the Chinese economy is collapsing. Is the Chinese economy going to fail? What opportunities have China's growth brought to the world? China Economy from a Global Perspective is a 10-part series analyzing the above questions. The fifth essay focuses on China's population growth. Wang Dan is chief...

China wants to build a ‘silver economy’ for its ageing society – but who will keep it running?

Homes for the elderly are businesses like any other. But when Yan Guizhen established her first care facility at the turn of the millennium, she was more interested in providing a necessary service than maximising profit. Yan, 53, now manages six facilities that employ around 100 carers, tending to more than one thousand beds in China’s eastern Shandong province. But her dream to keep those of the older generation safe and comfortable has run into several snags. With China’s population ageing fast,...

January 2024

China promotes full implementation of private pension system

China will promote the full implementation of a private pension mechanism that has already been introduced in 36 cities and regions, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security announced Wednesday. At a press conference held in Beijing, the ministry said the system has been running smoothly and "positive progress" has been made since its introduction in 2022, adding that more than 50 million people have opened accounts to participate in the mechanism. The mechanism allows Chinese citizens to contribute up...

Money managers divided over Chinese equities

Global money managers are split as to whether buy signals are flashing for China stocks right now, even as they agree the equity market does look cheap. The gap between Chinese company market capitalizations and the U.S. stock market was $42.5 trillion as of market close Jan. 23, based on Pensions & Investments' calculations using Bloomberg data. Bloomberg reported Jan. 23 that Chinese stocks have lost more than $6.3 trillion in value from a February 2021 peak, vs. a $5.3 trillion...

China. Revitalizing pensions and economy with innovative aging finance

Financial institutions actively manage the Basic Old-age Insurance Fund and the National Social Security Fund, adopting market-oriented, diversified, and specialized investment principles. This approach promotes appreciation in the first pillar of the pension system. These institutions not only handle the investment aspects of enterprise annuity schemes and occupational annuity schemes but also provide direct services to participants in processes such as account opening, migration, and withdrawal. This approach leads to continual expansion in coverage and fund growth in enterprise annuity...

They flocked to build China’s cities. Now builders are aging with little retirement

About 30 years ago, construction worker Song Aimin believed a lifetime of labor could earn him a spot among China's growing urban middle class. He left his village in the northern Hebei province and headed to Beijing. "Back then, all the people in the villages wanted to leave to go find work in the cities. Laboring in the cities meant that you always ate well — at least, better than you ate back home," says Song, now 64 years old....

China’s Population Drops by 2 Million in 2023 Due to Record Low Birth Rate

China has long seen the United States as its main geopolitical rival. But the Chinese government is facing a new threat – this one from within: a precipitous decline in the country’s birth rate, leading to a rapidly aging – and shrinking – population. China’s population fell by a staggering 2.08 million people in 2023 to 1.409 billion, according to the country’s National Bureau of Statistics. Its population had declined by 850,000 in 2022, which had been the country’s first year-over-year decline...

China Unveils Extensive ‘Silver Economy’ Plan to Adapt to Aging Population

China’s is rapidly getting grayer, and amid unsuccessful attempts to boost languishing birth rates, the country has now unveiled plans to reorient a significant part of its massive economy around its aging population. China’s State Council on Monday unveiled a series of measures to promote the “silver economy,” calling on both state-owned and private enterprises to better cater to the elderly and announcing plans to develop 10 industrial parks and increase public and private investments and innovation in elderly products...

China Is Fast Losing Its Place as Must-Have in Global Portfolios

Years of harrowing losses have left Chinese stocks with a diminished standing in global portfolios, a trend that’s likely to accelerate as some of the world’s biggest funds distance themselves from the risk-ridden market. An analysis of filings by 14 US pension funds with investments in Chinese stocks show most of them have reduced their holdings since 2020. The California Public Employees’ Retirement System and New York State Common Retirement Fund, among the nation’s biggest pension investors, cut their exposure...