A Study of the Rights and Interests of the Older Persons in China

By the end of 2008, the total number of people aged 60 and over represented 12% of the general population of China. The government, civil society, as well as the families of China are altogether facing new challenges as they rapidly enter an unprecedented era of an ageing society. Indeed, the problems that need solving are numerous: many older persons do not have enough food and access to health care not to mention the lack of access to education and other social resources; they have little opportunity to participate in social development and receive meaningful income and little say in the policy making process with regards to their own well-being. The older persons are also often without housing and entirely dependent on their children's income and generosity due to the rural foundation land distribution system. The older persons thus face many difficulties at the end of their life due to the family-based care-giving system. Furthermore, the life of elderly women is found to be more difficult than that of elderly men. Under the framework of the United Nations Principles for Older Persons, this research seeks to take a first cut at properly identifying the contemporary circumstances of the older persons in China. In addition, in dialogue with the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Aged, this research interprets the current issues and challenges in protecting the rights and interests of the older persons, and proposes strategies and activities with the aid of the Report of the Second World Assembly on Aging. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.