Mr. Chairman,

First of all, please allow me to offer, on behalf of the Chinese Government delegation, my warm congratulations on Your Excellency's election as chairman of the Assembly and the convocation of this Assembly. I also wish to express my heartfelt thanks to the Spanish Government and the Organizing Committee of this Assembly for their efforts to make the smooth opening of the Assembly a reality. The Chinese delegation is ready to work together with Your Excellency and other delegations for its complete success.

Mr. Chairman,

The first World Assembly on Ageing held 20 years ago is an important milestone in the history of the global undertakings on ageing. We have noted with joy that over the past two decades, the international community and governments of various countries, NGOs included, have made unremitting efforts in facilitating the implementation of the International Plan of Action on Ageing 1982. The major resolutions adopted successively by the United Nations, such as the October 1 International Day of Older Persons, the United Nations Principles for Older Persons, the Proclamation on Ageing, the 1999 International Year of Older Persons, have worked effectively in evoking the attention of the international community and governments to the issue of ageing. The basic spirit and principles, as enshrined in the Plan of Action, are reflected in the formulation of macro-policies on economic and social development by governments and are well observed in its actual implementation. In order to promote the work on ageing, many countries have established coordination agencies on ageing-related work, strengthened research on ageing matters and vigorously conducted international cooperation and exchanges in this field. They also have brought into play the leading role of governments and the role of NGOs through legislation, policy adjustment and economic reform and have made gratifying progress in safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of the older population, providing them with welfare services and health care and improving the quality of their life.

Currently, with the rapid growth of world's older population, the issue of ageing is looming larger, particularly in developing countries, and has become a major social problem confronting all countries in the 21st century. Under economic and social development constraints, the basic needs of many senior citizens have not been met, the quality of their life not high. There are still a good many difficulties hindering governments' efforts towards ageing, making it an arduous task to achieve. With that in mind, we deem it timely and highly necessary for the UN to convene this meeting 20 years after the first World Assembly on Ageing in Vienna to give an overall review of the achievements made since then and to discuss and adopt a global strategy guiding actions on ageing in the 21st century. It is particularly so to have the issue of ageing in developing countries as the focus of the discussion and study at the current Assembly. The convocation of this Assembly is of great significance to further arousing the entire society to the issue of ageing and will exert positive and farreaching impact. The Chinese Government endorses the principles and objectives as elaborated in the Political Declaration, the International Plan of Action on Ageing 2002 and other key documents to be adopted at the Assembly. To facilitate their implementation, I have the following proposals to make on addressing the issue of ageing:

Firstly, all countries should understand and address ageing in line with their national conditions, take full account of the characteristics and needs of older persons and incorporate ageing into their economic and social development programs. They should adopt proactive measures to protect the lawful rights and interests of older persons and enhance the quality of their life so that they can enjoy the fruit of human progress on an equal basis as other members of society. This is an important responsibility of governments and also the responsibility of societies worldwide. It is part and parcel of the efforts to protect human rights.

Secondly, all countries, developing countries in particular, should attribute importance to and actively promote economic development and the overall progress of society, take poverty eradication and better medicare as their priority objectives and continue to work to improve the livelihood and health of older persons.

Thirdly, while the material needs of senior citizens are met, adequate attention should be given to the satisfaction of their spiritual and cultural needs. A scientific, dignified and healthy way of living should be encouraged to enhance the well-being and quality of life of older persons.

Fourthly, the international community and all countries should carry out extensive cooperation on ageing based on the principle of "learning from each other, equality and mutual benefit". In such international cooperation countries should respect each other and take into consideration the differences among states in cultural traditions, religious belief and the level of economic development.

Fifthly, financial input in addressing ageing should be increased in its real terms. Eighty percent of world's older population resides in developing countries where development and population ageing pose a double challenge. Poverty and disease are the primary concern of the older population in developing countries. We appeal to the international community and developed countries to render, in the interests of common development of mankind, financial, technical and other assistance and

support to ageing-related undertakings in developing countries to help older people there out of poverty and improve their living environment and conditions.
Mr. Chairman,
China is a developing country home to the largest older population in the world, with one fifth of world's population aged over 60 living in this country. At present as many as 132 million Chinese are over 60, accounting for more than 10% of China's total population. It is estimated that the figure will surpass 200 million by 2015, which then will take up about 14% of China's total population, and will reach 400 million by the mid-21st century when one out of every four Chinese will be of advanced age. What's more striking is that the venerable-aged population above 80 is growing at an average rate of 5.4% on a yearly basis and has already reached 13 million, taking up 18% of the world's total above 80.
 

The Chinese Government has all along attached great importance and paid close attention to ageing and regarded it as a strategic issue which must be handled in line with our national conditions and in the fundamental interests of the older population within our overall program of economic and social development. Since the first World Assembly on Ageing in Vienna in 1982, the Chinese Government has been working hard to implement the relevant UN resolutions on ageing and the Plan of Action as adopted by the Assembly and has strengthened its leadership in the work in this regard by setting up coordination agencies at all levels from central to local.

For the development of ageing-related undertakings, China has formulated a guiding principle of government providing leadership while encouraging the collaboration between all parts of society and the care of the whole nation. We have also set up the long-term objectives of providing for older persons, ensuring them access to medical services, educational and training opportunities and recreational facilities and the chance to make contributions to society. China has promulgated and put in force the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Older Persons and local statues concerning older persons in an effort to eliminate discrimination of all descriptions against older persons and to protect their lawful rights and interests through legal, administrative and educational means. Attaching importance to the formulation of policies on the work of ageing, the Chinese Government has drawn up the Decision on Strengthening the Work on Ageing, the Seven-Year Development Program for Ageing-related Undertakings in China (1994-2000) and the Tenth Five-Year Plan Program for the Development of Ageing-related Undertakings in China (2001-2005) and has gradually developed a social security system for the elderly population. It advocates and encourages the participation of senior citizens in public welfare activities and brings into play the talents of older personnel with science and technological expertise. Vigorous efforts have been made to improve community welfare services, health care, cultural and sports activities for older persons, and to further enhance the Chinese nation's longstanding virtues of respecting, providing for and assisting the elderly, accentuating the positive role of families. Currently, there are up to 77,400 welfare facilities and 17,000 senior citizen universities housing 1.5 million students in both rural and urban areas nation-wide. The number of older people participating in sports activities and physical exercises on a regular basis has amounted to over 30 million.

Practice has proven that the guiding principle and policies China has adopted and the actions taken correspondingly are in keeping with China's national conditions and are the correct choice in protecting the basic human rights of hundreds of millions of elderly Chinese. China's success in this endeavor has effectively guaranteed the lawful rights and interests of its older population, improved their livelihood and enriched their spiritual and cultural life and thereby has played an important role in promoting China's economic development and social progress. In spite of the enormous efforts we have made in the past two decades, we are sober-minded enough to have realized that the huge basis of older population in China and the swift aging of our population that takes place when the country's economy is not fully developed will undoubtedly impose heavy strains on China's economic and social development. Nevertheless, we firmly believe that with all-round economic development and social progress in China, the Chinese Government has the ability and confidence to confront ageing that has become an increasingly salient issue and further elevate the quality of life of hundreds of millions of elderly Chinese. In the meantime, we appeal here at the Assembly to the international community to support China in its efforts to promote its undertakings on ageing.

Mr. Chairman,

The 21st century is one that is both promising and challenging. The history of evolvement of human society tells us that older population is an asset of society not a burden. They should not only be beneficiaries of social progress but also participants in social development. Though we are facing severe challenges of population ageing, we have full confidence in the future. Let us, in the common interests of mankind, in the national interests of all countries and in the individual interests of older persons worldwide, join hands and work towards building "a society for all ages". We are convinced that the Second World Assembly on Ageing will be remembered as another important milestone in the advancement of the global efforts in the interests of the elderly.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.