Asia-Pacific conference charts path for cooperation on population aging

HANGZHOU, China, Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from China Daily:

The 2026 Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Population Ageing, held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, from Oct 26 to 30, brought together international and Chinese perspectives on aging governance, explored cooperative approaches to actively address population aging, and outlined a blueprint for regional cooperation in aging services.

The conference featured a wide range of activities such as high-level panel discussions, keynote lectures, parallel meetings, side events and presentations of research findings. The lectures focused on the silver economy and the concept of a longevity society, analyzing the opportunities and challenges posed by population aging. During the high-level panel discussions, representatives from countries and regions such as China, Singapore, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Iran, as well as international organizations, engaged in in-depth discussions.

In 16 parallel sessions, attendees discussed topics including the silver economy, sustainable caregiving, building age-friendly societies, as well as technology, artificial intelligence and aging, with extensive exchanges on diverse topics such as community-based elderly care and green transitions.

A dedicated China Forum was held during the conference, where representatives from Shanghai and the provinces of Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang shared China's experiences in four areas: building a lifelong education system for all, developing age-friendly communities, approaches to aging governance at the grassroots level, and making urban and rural environments more age-friendly. The China National Committee on Ageing released three research reports: From Vienna to Beijing: China's Approach to Responding Proactively to Population Ageing; China's "Silver Age Action": The Current State and Representative Case Studies; and China's Silver Economy: High-Quality Development Pathways.

During the conference, participants visited the 2026 Zhejiang International Health and Wellness Industry Expo and toured a silver economy industrial park, age-friendly neighborhoods and communities providing elderly care services, gaining firsthand insights into China's innovations in the elderly care industry and grassroots practices supporting the elderly.

The conference produced policy recommendations and broad agreement on key priorities, with participants proposing five initiatives, including transforming longevity into development opportunities, promoting accessible and inclusive care services, ensuring that the benefits of the silver economy are widely shared, and enhancing mutual trust and understanding. The initiatives aim to encourage all parties to uphold the principles of inclusivity, innovation and sustainable development, working together to address the challenges of population aging and continuously improving the well-being of the elderly.

The conference was co-hosted by the China National Committee on Ageing, HelpAge International and the United Nations Population Fund, organized by the Zhejiang civil affairs bureau and the Hangzhou government, and attended by nearly 700 representatives from government departments, academic institutions, international organizations, social organizations and enterprises.