驻马耳他大使姜江在联合国国际老龄问题研究所会议上的讲话
Remarks by Ambassador Jiang Jiang at the Conference on Population Ageing and Active Ageing International and Asian Perspectives
2019年5月20日
20 May 2019
各位专家，各位朋友：
Dear Friends,
早上好！很高兴出席“人口老龄化和积极老龄化：全球和亚洲视角”会议。在座各位都是老龄化问题研究专家，我想将学术讨论留给大家，而就老龄化问题分享一些个人感受。
Good morning. I am delighted to attend today’s conference on “Population Ageing and Active Ageing: International and Asian Perspectives”. You are all experts in this field, so I will share some personal experience and leave the academic discussion to you.
我已作为大使在国外生活6年多。每次回国休假，我都深切体会到中国老人的生活质量在不断提高。每天早上，我看到许多老人在公园里或散步、晨练，或聚在一起谈天说地、唱歌跳舞，他们的精神状态一点儿都不像老年人，而是充满了活力与生气。每次我回国的一项重要日程是去京郊的老年公寓看望我的父母。他们说，老年公寓的生活方便、舒适，设施齐全、服务到位，还经常为老人们组织丰富多彩的文体活动。身为子女，我虽不能长期陪在他们身边，但看到他们生活得很幸福，我感到放心和欣慰。
I have been living abroad as Ambassador for more than six years. Every time I go back to China on home leave, I can feel the rising quality of life for the elderly. Every morning, I would see many senior citizens in the park, walking, exercising, singing and dancing. Their energy and passion really defy their age. One of the first things I do each time I go back to China is to visit my parents at their retirement home in the suburbs of Beijing. They often tell me how much they enjoy the life there, which is comfortable and convenient with access to all the facilities and care service they need. The management team regularly organizes fun activities for everyone living there. So though I’m unable to spend much time with my parents, it is comforting to know that they are taken good care of and living a happy life.
大家知道，今年是新中国成立70周年。70年来，中国从一个积贫积弱的国家，一跃成为世界第二大经济体。经济发展带来生活和医疗条件的改善，中国人均寿命从1949年的35岁增长到如今的77岁。与此同时，不断提升的人口预期寿命使得中国人口老龄化开始加速。按照国际通行标准，中国在2000年前后便进入了老龄社会。如今，中国65周岁及以上老年人口约1.67亿人，占总人口比达11.9%，应对老龄社会的挑战已成为中国政府和全社会都在关注的问题。
As you may know, this year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Over the past seven decades, China has developed from a country fraught with poverty into the world’s second largest economy, which has significantly uplifted living standards and quality of the health system. Average life span has been extended from 35 years in 1949 to 77 years today. With that, however, comes the acceleration of population aging. According to international standards, China had already become an aging society by 2000. Today, there are about 167 million Chinese aged 65 or above, which is 11.9% of the total population. Dealing with the challenge of aging society is very much on the minds of the Chinese government and public.
尊老敬老是中华民族的传统美德，中国人同马耳他人一样，重视家庭，孝顺父母，《中华人民共和国宪法》中也明确规定成年子女有赡养扶助父母的义务。但是，许多年轻人因为工作等原因无法陪伴在父母身边，这就需要动员全社会的力量，通过老龄政策与老龄机构建设，实现“老有所依、老有所养”。改革开放以来，中国养老保险、医疗保险、社会救助制度、农村扶贫计划等机制不断健全和完善，为老年人提供了较为全面的社会保障体系。习近平主席在党的十九大报告中强调“要积极应对人口老龄化，构建养老、孝老、敬老政策体系和社会环境，推进医养结合，加快老龄事业和产业发展”，这为新时代应对人口老龄化问题指明了方向。
To respect and support the elderly is a traditional virtue for the Chinese. Just like the people in Malta, we in China also believe in valuing the family and taking good care of one’s parents. Our Constitution stipulates that children who have come of age have a duty to support and assist their parents. That being said, not all young people can stay by their parents’ side because of their work or other reasons. It thus takes the whole society to provide the policies and facilities needed to make sure that “every senior citizen has access to support and care”. Since reform and opening-up, China has enhanced its programs for pension insurance, medical insurance, social assistance and rural poverty alleviation, providing full coverage in its social safety net for the elderly. In his report delivered at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, President Xi Jinping pointed out that “as we respond proactively to population aging, we will adopt policies and foster a social environment in which senior citizens are respected, cared for, and live happily in their later years. We will provide integrated elderly care and medical services, and accelerate the development of old-age programs and industries.” This has charted the course for dealing with population aging issues in the new era.
老年人奉献青春为社会发展作出了巨大贡献，他们理应享受幸福的晚年生活。老龄化问题是全球性挑战，也是我们每一个人都会面临的问题。希望大家通过今天这样的交流，互学互鉴，携手努力，共同探索健康老龄化和积极老龄化举措，为应对老龄化问题作出积极贡献。
Senior citizens made great contribution to our society in their youth and deserve a happy life after retirement. Population aging is a global challenge and an issue that we each need to face on a personal level. I hope that through discussions like the one we are having today, we will draw on each other’s experience, work together on measures for healthy and active aging, and make joint contribution to solving population aging issues.
最后，预祝此次会议圆满成功。谢谢。
In conclusion, I wish today’s conference a great success. Thank you.