China has expanded its elderly care services over recent years to cope with its rapidly aging population, with a particular emphasis on the development of at-home and community-based care.
As of the end of June this year, the country had built a total of 410,000 elderly care institutions and facilities, doubling the level in 2019, the data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs showed on Monday.
Of these, 369,000 were community-based elderly care institutions and facilities, marking a 120-percent increase over 2019.
The country has also stepped up efforts to cultivate elderly care talents. As of the end of 2023, colleges and universities nationwide had opened more than 770 majors related to nursing and elderly care service management.
From 2020 to 2022, the country trained a total of 2.48 million professional elderly care workers, 10,000 nursing home directors, and 100,000 full-time and part-time senior social workers.
"Going forward, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Office of the National Working Committee on Aging will promote the transformation of the work related to senior citizens towards people's whole-life-cycle preparation for elderly care. We will also coordinate and improve the social security, elderly care service and health support systems, optimize the elderly assistance and social welfare systems, deepen the reform and development of elderly care services, expand the scale and impact of the 'Silver Age Action', and guide senior citizens to actively participate in social activities," Liao Ming, deputy director of the elderly care service department of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, said at a press conference in Beijing on Monday.
The "Silver Age Action" is an initiative launched in 2003 with the goal of leveraging the expertise and knowledge of senior professionals across different domains to assist in the development of underdeveloped areas.
Official data showed that there were 297 million people aged 60 and above in the country at the end of 2023, accounting for 21.1 percent of the total population. The number of people aged 65 and above reached 217 million, or 15.4 percent of the total.
China improves elderly care services to cope with rapidly aging population
A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.
Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.
In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.
"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.
Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.
In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.
"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.
By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.
After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.
"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.
Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.
As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.
Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media
