A team led by Zhang Chunxian, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), visited East China's Shandong province from July 11 to 15 to learn about the province's efforts to address population aging.

In the cities of Dezhou, Tai’an and Zaozhuang, the team did field studies at elderly care centers, rehabilitation care centers, hospitals, residential communities and enterprises. They also held symposiums to listen to suggestions for promoting the high-quality development of undertakings for the aged population.

While recognizing the province's achievements, Zhang stressed the importance of the national strategy to proactively address population aging, as the country enters a transition period from mild aging to moderate aging in the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25).

Following a people-centered approach, more efforts are needed to build a system that integrates elderly care, health and medical services, promotes the development of the silver economy, and safeguards the rights and interests of elderly people through improved laws and regulations, Zhang said.