China began to enter an aging society in 2000 when the proportion of people over 60 years old reached 10%. Since then the degree of ageing has continued to deepen, with the proportion of the elderly population reaching 21.1% in 2023, and elderly care has gradually become a major livelihood issue of common concern to the whole society. At present, 99% of the elderly in China choose to stay at their own homes for care, while only 1% choose to be taken care in institutions. Therefore, it is crucial to strengthen the construction of an age-friendly environment for the elderly at homes.

Falling-down is the primary cause of injury and death in China for people over the age of 65, and more than 50 million the elderly in China experience at least once each year, half of which occurs at home. Among the causes of falling-down, physical factors account for only 15%, while home environment factors account for 85%. Data from the Fourth China Urban and Rural Elderly Sample Survey show that 58.7% of urban and rural elderly people believe that there is a problem of housing that is not suitable for the elderly, and the proportion in rural areas is even as high as 63.2%. Therefore, age-oriented reform of the home environment is extremely important for the elderly.

In 2016, the Chinese government issued the Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Construction of a Livable Environment for the Elderly, which puts forward opinions and goals for the construction of an aging-friendly environment for the elderly in five aspects, namely the residence, travel, health, living services, and social and cultural environment for respecting the elderly. In 2020, the General Office of the State Council of China issued the Guiding Opinions on Comprehensively Promoting the Reconstruction of Old Urban Communities, which points out that the reconstruction of old urban communities is a major people’s livelihood project and a development project.

Ageing-friendly reform is a newly emerging thing, and there are many constraints in promotion, including concepts, policies, consumer willingness, market cultivation, talent team, etc. The first and foremost is conceptual cognition. Currently, in the society there still exists some general cognitive blind spots and misconceptions about elderly-oriented reform, which needs a certain amount of time in understanding, accepting, as well as more actively publicity and appeal to solve this problem.

He is President of China Association of Social Welfare and Senior Service, Vice President of Fudan Institute on Ageing, and Vice President of China Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics.

He used to work in Ministry of Civil Affairs(MCA) and National Health Commission for over 30 years, and served as Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of China Aging Science Research Center, Member of the Party Group and Deputy Director of Office of National Committee on Working for the Aging, and Deputy President of China National Committee on Ageing.

He has rich working experience on aging in government offices, scientific research institutions and social organizations. He has participated in the formulation of major laws, plans and policy documents on aging work, and has led the promotion of the innovative practice of aging work in China at the national level. He has chaired the drafting of national and ministerial documents as well as provincial and ministerial research projects, written monographs and treatises, and published papers. In 2024, he delivered a themed lecture at 9th Special Study Session of the State Council hosted by Premier Li Qiang.