An aging society can be vibrant

It should be noted that aging is a long-term process, and people have accumulated ample knowledge about it over time.

For years, China has been talking about dealing with problems associated with aging in a preemptive manner.

In light of that, the government recently released a guideline on medium-and long-term planning for dealing with a graying society. It was one of the highlights of last year.

By detailing how the government plans to cope with demographic stress in the coming decades, the document gave a preview of what is to come at different stages of aging, in addition to countermeasures to bolster elderly care, physical accessibility and seniors' social engagement, among other things.

I think it will play an important role in helping people realize that aging is a natural process, and the government is doing what it can to minimize its impact.

The guideline set out the bottom-line requirements for the coming years, which is to establish an aging policy network, which is expected to become efficient by 2035 and fully mature by 2050.

That will make it possible for the central authorities to oversee developments and push the policy through.

The document will help disperse the "aging phobia" sentiment. It will also allow people to see that reformed employment and other policies can allow an aging society to be a vibrant one.

Speaking of yanglao－that is, "supporting the elderly"－we used to refer to providing care services that targeted older people who could no longer take care of themselves. But the term means much more than that now.

Many older people can still work: They want to receive further education; they crave rich cultural nourishment; and they long to be engaged in social development.

Those are the things yanglao officials should focus on in the new era.

Du Peng spoke with Li Lei.