To address demographic challenges, China has announced the inclusion of humanoid robots in its elderly care services. The Chinese State Council’s announcement on Tuesday is part of the country’s policy measures aimed at integrating advanced technologies into elderly care.
The newly released guidelines, issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on December 30, 2024, emphasize the development of humanoid robots, brain-computer interfaces and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies personalized for elderly care.
Under these guidelines, China aims to establish a comprehensive nationwide elderly care service network by 2029. By 2035, the country expects to provide all seniors with access to basic services through a well-developed healthcare system and effectively meet the needs of its aging healthcare system. population.
High-tech approach to the challenges of an aging population
Facing one of the fastest growing elderly populations in the world, China plans to rapidly advance elderly care by deploying human-like robots and intelligent systems. At the end of 2023, China had more than 216.76 million citizens aged 65 and over, or 15.4% of the total population.
This demographic shift signals a crucial demand for innovative healthcare solutions, given the limited capacity of only 8.2 million aged care beds across the country, as official data suggests.
In response, the Chinese government is not only integrating humanoid robots with advanced interaction capabilities into the healthcare sector. Yet it also develops intelligent home systems to improve the safety and quality of life of the elderly.
These robots are increasingly being used for emotional companionship, health monitoring and assistance with intelligent home services, marking a significant shift towards high-tech healthcare solutions.
To simplify these developments, a uniform national information platform for elderly care is in the making. This platform will tailor service offerings to growing demand, optimizing the delivery of healthcare services across the country.
Local initiatives further illustrate this shift. South China Morning Mail reports that the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission has drawn up an action plan for 2027, focusing on the role of robot care.
Wuhan and Shanghai are also pioneers in this field, with the latter issuing China’s first governance guidelines for humanoid robots last year, emphasizing risk management and international cooperation.
Doubling the number of elderly people in the Asia-Pacific by 2050
The aging crisis is not just limited to China. It is a major issue in the Asia-Pacific region. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) reported last May that the number of people aged 60 and over in developing Asia and the Pacific is expected to double to 1.2 billion by 2050, representing almost a quarter of the total population of the region.
ADB Chief Economist Albert Park emphasized: “The rapid development of Asia and the Pacific is a success story, but it is also driving a huge demographic shift, and pressures are mounting. Governments must prepare now if they want to help hundreds of millions of people in the region age healthily.”
India, known for having the largest youth population in the world, also faces a rapidly aging population. A report by the United Nations Sexual and Reproductive Health Agency, UNFPA, published in December 2023, shows that India’s population is expected to rise from 153 million to 347 million by 2050.
The report also highlighted critical issues such as inadequate access to healthcare, the lack of pension plans and the physical and mental challenges faced by older people.
This impending increase in the number of elderly people in the Asia-Pacific region calls for an urgent re-evaluation of current elderly care policies and the introduction of innovative care solutions to address the challenges of an aging society. The recent Chinese initiative to introduce advanced robotics and AI technology into elderly care is a step forward. However, its impact and feasibility will need to be continually assessed.
