Ageing society and elder law in China

Population ageing, an increasingly global phenomenon, is a change
in societal composition that necessitates policies and measures to
tackle the consequential challenges. In 2020, persons who were
aged 65 and above constituted 14.25% of China’s total
population, which placed China on the verge of becoming an
‘aged’ society. Accordingly, this study investigates how China has
responded, and will respond, to the ageing of its population and
whether the current regulatory framework is on track to
materialize its underlying policy objectives in the care, protection,
and continued participation of older persons. Toward this aim,
this study traces the evolution of China’s policies and practices
on the care and protection of older persons, outlines China’s
regulatory framework and concomitant measures to tackle
ageing-related issues, and discusses elder law in action and
challenges in practice. In doing so, this study attempts to
illustrate how demographic changes have interacted with elder law in China.