Aging Society
The number of people aged 60 and above had reached 241 million in China by the end of 2017, accounting for 17.3 percent of the total population, according to the Office of the National Working Commission on Aging.A society with 10 percent of its population aged 60 and above can be referred to as an “aging society,” said Wu Yushao, Deputy Director of the office.
Since China first became an aging society in 1999, the number of people aged 60 and above has seen a net increase of 110 million. It is estimated that the number of seniors will peak around 2050 to reach 487 million, 34.9 percent of China’s total population, Wu said. The government has stepped up nationwide education on aging with the aim to raise citizens’ awareness and called on the public to care for the elderly. Local governments are required to improve working mechanisms for promoting aging-related education, which has been incorporated into their annual work plans.
ChINA
Commercial Recoverable Satellite
China will launch its first commercial recoverable satellite between 2019 and 2020, an official with the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) said. Recoverable satellites are an important part of China’s space program and are highly reliable, said CAST President Zhang Hongtai. China has successfully retrieved more than 20 recoverable satellites since 1975. The same technology has helped Chinese astronauts return from space, he said. “We plan to upgrade this technology in order to satisfy the needs of commercial users,” said Zhang, adding recoverable satellites will be able to play an important role in space biology development and space scientific experiments.
LiBYABetter Employment for Youth
The Libyan Minister of Labor said on March 10 that his ministry is working on a roadmap to support the private sector to provide more employment opportunities for young people. Al-Mehdi Al-Amin made the remarks at the Third Startups Expo in Libya. “We also seek to develop strategies and action plans, in partnership with international organizations, to support micro enterprises that represent an important part of the national economy,” Al-Amin said. The minister stressed the importance of government support for creating employment opportunities for young people.
Al-Amin said the high unemployment rate of young people make them susceptible to violence in the country.