Li, who is also chairman of China National Committee on Ageing, told a national work conference for the elderly yesterday that the government has made great achievements in this regard in 2001.

Li extended Spring Festival greetings to elderly people nationwide and called for governments at all levels to be well prepared for the challenges posed by China's increasingly ageing society.

Data from the Population Institute at Renmin University of China in Beijing indicate China now has over 126 million people over the age of 60 at the end of 2000, making up about 10 per cent of the country's population.

According to international standards, China has apparently entered the ageing society.

Experts said this change is due in part to the development of the economy, where rising living standards and improved medical treatment have caused people to live longer.

The data further indicate that the growth rate of the ageing population in China will soar from 9.6 per cent in 1997 to 10.7 percent in 2005.

In other words, one-third of the population will be over 60 by the year 2050.

These numbers would be problematic in any country, but are especially so in a country whose traditions are rooted in Confucianism, with its emphasis on family and ancestor worship, Li said.

(China Daily February 9, 2002)