Abstract:

The changes to elder services policy in the new era stem from the multiple evolutions of Chinese social characteristics. The purpose is to solve deep-rooted problems such as a lagging traditional service model and an imbalanced supply structure. It is also meant to respond to the strategic mission of the country and the needs of its aging society. In this context, the origin of the new era of elder service policy is rooted in China’s traditional virtues and history. The policy design highlights the advantages of the Chinese socialist system, while the policy stance adheres to people-centered values. Positioned in the national strategy of development, the policy has evolved to be in line with the objective requirements of Chinese modernization. The development of elder care services in the new era is holistic, long-term, and forward-looking. It manifests in six distinct characteristics: top-level design guiding the systematic advancement of elderly care services; orderly prioritization of key issues to address the differentiated needs of different developmental stages; clarification of the boundaries of rights and responsibilities among diverse stakeholders to promote the tiered optimization of service provision; concentrated efforts to resolve deep-seated structural issues and enhance the system's overall operational efficiency; expansive new governance approaches to reconstruct solutions for high-overlap governance challenges in an ageing society; and a fortified digital and intelligent foundation for the development of elder services. These policies have achieved a double breakthrough in top-level design and practice strategy as they comprehensively promote China’s modernization with multi-dimensional innovation in the governance strategy of serving its aging society.

Key words: Chinese path to modernization, elderly services, social governance innovation