CRI听力:China to Improve Wellbeing for the Elderly

A report on the elderly here in China is suggesting the government should do more to help improve the wellbeing of the country's rapidly growing aging population.

The China Research Center on Aging has stressed the need to increase government spending on the construction of elderly friendly facilities.

Wu Yushao, director of China research center called for more attention being paid to convenience in new infrastructure for the elderly:

"From now on, we must take the aging group's requirements into consideration during the city planning and construction of housing and public facilities. For example, high-rise apartment buildings across the country will be equipped with elevators soon to facilitate the elderly people."

The report shows the number of people aged 60 or above will reach around 202 million this year.

This accounts for nearly 15-percent of the total population.

More than 36 million of this number require attention due to illness or a handicap.