Greying China a threat to its prosperity

Straits Times, 22 August 2006

AN ALARMING percentage of China's population is ageing. The one-child policy has led to such a consequences and is causing China to face a labour shortage in the time to come. The labour force is the most basic support of the country's economic development. Hence, the government is taking up measures to expand their population. I find it rather amusing that China has become one of the unique developing countries in the world which is ageing first without becoming affluent. There are leading problems such as a lack of state pension fund. In addition, there is a social problem: An entire generation of unhealthly children. Percentages show that there is rapid increase in the number of adolescences who suffer from obesity or short-sightedness. I find this worrying too such that China's economic growth will be stunned if the current situation persists. 'This generation might be haunted by chronic diseases, having a huge burden on China's social security system,' as one of the papers said in the editorial. I feel that the worse victims of such a policy, are the local families. There is less labour to help them in their work such as farming, etc. The ageing population will also have a much smaller younger generation to look after them. Thus, in turn affecting the whole country's economic growth on the whole.