Yin Weimin, minister of human resources and social security, said on Tuesday that he hoped a plan to gradually increase the official retirement age will be mapped out this year before soliciting public opinion next year and there won't be a major policy change for at least five years.

The retirement age policy change cannot be introduced hastily because the policy has too much influence and any change has to be fully discussed and demonstrated in the first place.

Lin Huifu (deputy to the National People's Congress, director of Hainan Development and Reform Commission)

March 4 via Xinhua

I am glad to see that female officials and professionals can retire at a later age, and that they can still choose to retire at 55 if they want, according to the new regulation. Female professionals have gathered rich experience by the time they are about 50 years old, and at that time their children have grown up, so they would have more time to devote to work.

Zhang Lihui (member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, dean of the Conservatory of Music at Chongqing Normal University)

March 3 via Chongqing Morning Paper

The retirement age delay of female cadres and female intellectuals embodies the progress of the society, and it is a significant hallmark of gender equality. If we still stick with the previous way, it is kind of deprivation of their work rights and work promotion opportunities.

Zheng Gongcheng (deputy to the National People's Congress, the inaugural President of the institute of social security of China)

On March 4 via Beijing New

To raise the retirement age will leave young people less vacant positions, so there will be a larger number of unemployed young people which may cause social instability. The delay in retirement will likely result in a number of elderly people, who are often not good at learning and accepting new things, occupying positions. On the other hand, without injecting fresh blood, the policy may stifle innovation and social development.

@Fengtuiyiyezho March 10 via Sina Weibo

I don't approve of the retirement age delay as it cannot be applied to all jobs. People of 50 or more are unfit to do physical work, for instance sanitation workers, stevedores and transport workers. The retirement age delay will cause the greatest damage to them.

@ellespring March 10 via Sina Weibo

Gong Sen, deputy head of the Social Development Research Department with the State Council Development Research Center, pointed out that the way to cope with China's growing aging population and pension gap is to constantly raise the retirement age. Gong Sen said: "the retirement age delay" is not a "one size fits all" type, but rather an incremental reform which "raises a few months at a time each year", and said "it will not have too much impact on individuals."

November 8, 2013 via The Beijing News