-- Building a China-ASEAN Silver Economy CommunityPromotingCoordinated Development of the Regional Elderly Care Industry
Professor Yang Yifan of Southwest Jiaotong University Proposes an Innovative Conceptual Framework
Leading a New Paradigm for Regional Silver Economy Cooperation
Against the dual backdrop of accelerating global population aging and deepening regional economic integration, Professor Yang Yifan of Southwest Jiaotong University — Member of the Expert Committee of the National Working Commission on Aging, and Chinese Co-Director of the ASEAN-China Silver Economy Development Research Center (ACSEC) — has formally put forward the innovative conceptual framework of the “China-ASEAN Silver Economy Community”.
This forward-looking vision aims to build a multi-dimensional cooperation system covering policy coordination, market opening, industrial linkage, technology sharing, and mutual recognition of standards. It marks a new stage of systematic joint construction and coordinated development between China and ASEAN countries in addressing the challenges of population aging.
Conceptual Innovation: A Paradigm Shift from Fragmented Responses to Systematic Collaboration
Professor Yang points out that the core meaning of the China-ASEAN Silver Economy Community lies in transcending traditional bilateral or multilateral elderly care cooperation models, and striving to form a regionally integrated elderly care solution, product-service system, and capital circulation network.
The Community will enable the freer, more efficient flow and optimal allocation of elderly products and services, professional talents, age-friendly technologies, and long-term capital between China and ASEAN countries, completing a paradigm shift from fragmented responses to systematic joint construction.
This framework is grounded in a profound insight into regional aging trends. On the one hand, China is undergoing the world’s largest and fastest aging process, with over 320 million people aged 60 and above, and possesses the world’s most complete elderly care industry supply chain and rapidly advancing digital technology application capabilities. On the other hand, many ASEAN countries are also entering aging societies at an alarming rate, with a combined elderly population projected to exceed 350 million by 2030.
Despite diverse and strong demand, ASEAN countries face significant gaps in elderly care service systems, age-friendly product supply, and professional care capacity. Meanwhile, profound adjustments in the global supply chain landscape and growing demand for regional economic integration have created historic opportunities for building a regional silver economy community.
Strategic Value: A New Multi-Dimensional Engine for Regional Cooperation
Professor Yang emphasizes that building the China-ASEAN Silver Economy Community carries far-reaching strategic significance.
Economically, it will jointly foster and develop a giant regional silver market with a potential value of trillions of US dollars, giving rise to new business forms and models, and serving as a new engine for regional economic growth in the post-pandemic era.
Socially, through complementary advantages and cooperation, it will comprehensively improve regional elderly well-being, cost-effectively meet the growing demand for diversified, high-quality elderly care services, and represent a meaningful exploration of an “Asian Approach” to aging.
Governance-wise, it provides a concrete path for deepening the Healthy Silk Road and Digital Silk Road under the Belt and Road Initiative. It is an important practice in the social and livelihood sector for building a closer China-ASEAN Community with a Shared Future, helping enhance the resilience and inclusiveness of regional development.
Platform Support: ACSEC Leading Academic Research and Policy Practice
As a key incubator and promotion platform for the China-ASEAN Silver Economy Community concept, the ASEAN-China Silver Economy Development Research Center (ACSEC) is playing an increasingly vital bridging role.
Leveraging Southwest Jiaotong University’s disciplinary strengths in silver economy-related fields, ACSEC integrates top universities, research institutions, industry associations, and leading enterprises from China and ASEAN, striving to become the most influential think tank platform in the regional silver economy sector.
ACSEC’s research system covers four core areas:
Policy & Governance: Regional elderly care policy coordination and mutual recognition of standards;
Industry & Market: Supply chain integration and cross-border service model innovation;
Technology & Innovation: Smart elderly care technology transfer and age-friendly digital solutions;
Humanities & Exchange: Elderly care talent training and cross-cultural service integration.
Through systematic academic research, policy consultation, and industry matching, ACSEC is gradually building a three-dimensional cooperation network connecting government, market, and academia.
Action Path: From Academic Consensus to Practical Cooperation
The forward-looking concept of the China-ASEAN Silver Economy Community has already received positive responses from scholars in relevant fields.
ACSEC plans to use regular platforms such as the ASEAN-China Silver Economy Development Forum to drive substantive transformation from academic consensus to policy dialogue and industrial cooperation. The forum will bring together government officials, experts, business leaders, and social organization representatives from China and ASEAN to conduct in-depth discussions on regional elderly care standard alignment, cross-border health and wellness tourism, smart elderly care technology transfer, and joint talent training, with the aim of landing concrete cooperation projects.
Professor Yang stated that ACSEC will uphold the principle of “extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits”, promote the establishment of a multilateral coordination mechanism for regional silver economy cooperation, explore the creation of a special cooperation fund, and support pilot demonstration projects.
In the future, the Center will also release the Annual Report on the China-ASEAN Silver Economy Development Index and establish a regional elderly care industry database to provide scientific support for policy formulation and investment decisions.
Population aging is a shared challenge for humanity in the 21st century, as well as a major opportunity for regional cooperation. The vision of the China-ASEAN Silver Economy Community not only reflects the wisdom and responsibility of China and ASEAN countries in addressing aging, but also provides an innovative model for South-South cooperation in aging among Global South nations.
The ASEAN-China Silver Economy Development Research Center (ACSEC) stands ready to work with all parties to guide practice with academia, promote development through cooperation, jointly write a new chapter of coordinated development in the regional silver economy, and contribute to building a closer China-ASEAN Community with a Shared Future.
Contact Info:
Name: Yang Yong
Email: Send Email
Organization: ASEAN-China Silver Economy Development Research Center
Website: http://www.aseanchinacenter.org/
Release ID: 89188110
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