Elderly must contribute in ageing society

Opinion / Li Xing

 Elderly must contribute in ageing society
By Li Xing (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-03-02 05:47

We Chinese have a tradition of comparing people of different ages to the
sun at different hours. Late Chairman Mao Zedong likened the youths to
the morning sun between seven and eight o'clock.

The setting sun is the invariable figure of speech for elderly people,
usually over the age of 60. For instance, members of a performing art
troupe composed of elderly and retirees in Tangshan, North China's Hebei
Province, have named their troupe "Qiao Xiyang," meaning "Attractive
Setting Sun."

The troupe recently won national fame for an ingenious dance mimicking
traditional Chinese shadow play that they performed at the CCTV Spring
Festival Gala Show, before an audience of several hundred millions around
the world. It took the top prize for best dance show in a popular vote
with viewers claiming to have come from some 30 countries.

In a series of interviews with the TV and other media, the troupe
members, most of them women already with grandchildren, talked about how
their daily practice and various performances around the country have
given their life in retirement new meaning.

Unlike many of their peers, they are freed from daily household chores
and boredom.

Similar troupes and institutions where the elderly learn tai-chi,
calligraphy or ink-wash paintings, or practise yanggo dances or sing in
choruses have also mushroomed in the country.

It is inevitable, as China is fast becoming a country of grey hair with
its population ageing rapidly over the past few years. Today, all China's
major metropolises have entered what the United Nations defines an ageing
society, with the people above the age of 60 accounting for 10 per cent
of the population.

It is fun and encouraging to see how singing, dancing, painting and even
taekwondo have brightened the lives of the elderly and retirees.

But I don't think entertainment and artistic recreation alone will help
alleviate the real problems of ageing.

In fact, the whole country already has to grapple with the challenges of
an ageing society, as the sheer population of retirees is huge. It is
already known that there is a shortfall of more than US$300 billion in
the national pension system. Social security and public funds for basic
medical care are also strained.

Ironically, the average retirement age in China is 51.2, 10 years lower
than the world average. Many, especially women, are forced to take early
retirement against their will, despite the fact that many of the early
retirees possess useful skills or knowledge. While their talent and
previous training and experiences are wasted, they've also lost the
chance to top up their own pensions and contribute to the overall pension
system.

It is true we are also in a period in which economic growth has not been
able to provide jobs for all the youths who come into the job market.
Only a little over 70 per cent of the college graduates have a prospect
of finding a job they desire, and their expectation for payment has
fallen to an all-time low.

But governments at all levels and society must beware of short-sighted
plans or policies that try to mend one fence while breaking another.

The economy and society have become so complex that authorities must
learn to balance the needs of all people and tap the rich resources of
all people, young and the elderly alike.

A harmonious society requires contributions and enthusiasm from people of
all ages.

Email: lixing@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 03/02/2006 page4)

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