Legal Countermeasures Against Population Ageing Problems Of China

As a result of substantial and rapid changes occurring worldwide in population structure, ageing is increasingly being recognized as a major issue for all societies as they enter the twenty-first century. China had become an ageing society since 2000, and the population and individual ageing will last for decades. As the most populous developing country, China's situation of meeting the challenge of ageing is even harder with the undeveloped economy and the low production level. Ageing of population influences social-economic development, changes the structure of social labor relations and distribution relations, directly challenges present policy of social security, increases social functioning costs, changes social participation, directly leads to the variation of family structures and burdens older generation support of each family. As for the countermeasures taken to offset the ageing of population, the related policies including population policy, employment policy, cultural and educational policy, health and hygiene policy and social security policy, remain the most effective means for safeguarding against and dealing with problems originated form ageing. And in many ageing countries on the world, they have already developed operation system on these policies and accumulated enough practical experiences. Ageing makes the country characterized by an increasing number and proportion of older persons, so how to satisfy the material and spiritual needs of this expanding group is an important issue must be solved immediately with the social development in China. Law is the most forceful guarantee for the rights and interests. How to protect the rights and interests of the aged by the weapon of law is another important mechanism against ageing problems. The content and the legal protection wield of the elder's rights and interests need to be prescribed on law. In responding to the fundamental changes and needs resulting from the ageing of society, Government must be increasingly concerned to put in place policies. The availability of the legal channels which aim at the fulfillment of their rights and interests must be improved. The legal system, which established for the protection of this group's rights and interests, must be strengthen and perfected.