As the country falls short of delivering adequate social services for seniors, the government's plan to tackle the social and economic challenges facing the elderly has entered a critical stage, said a senior official with the National Committee of Ageing. 

The period of the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-10) is an important phase for China's undertakings for the ageing people, said Li Bengong, vice-director of the National Committee of Ageing, at the workshop that opened yesterday in Beijing on "The 11th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Ageing Cause." 

The 11th Five-Year Plan for the ageing cause will focus on improving infrastructures, services, welfare and housing, according to Yuan Xinli, vice-director of the National Committee of Ageing. 

"The country's senior population above the age of 60 will increase from the current 147 million to 174 million in 2010, representing 12.57 per cent of the total population then," Yuan said. "And it is expected that in 2020, the number of elderly people above 60 will reach 243 million, accounting for 17 per cent of the country's total population." 

With growing numbers of seniors, the country's ageing cause will face challenges from some newly emerging problems, such as the impact of AIDS on seniors and the health of elderly women. 

"Many people take it for granted that AIDS has nothing to do with the aged, since most AIDS patients are young and middle-aged people," said Du Peng, deputy director of the Centre of Ageing Studies at Renmin University of China. 

But Du said that the elderly are indirect victims of the disease. 

"Some old people have to shoulder the responsibility of taking care of their AIDS-infected son or daughter, and even their grandchildren," Du said. 

Elderly women also need more care from the government and society, added Koh Miyaoi, programme officer of the United Nations Economic and Social Council for Asia-Pacific. 

"Gender is an important issue in the ageing society," she said. "Since most women live longer than men, elderly women account for a bigger part of the elderly group. Besides the common difficulties brought on by ageing, elderly women have to face the problem of gender equality." 

In another development, Shanghai's municipal government promised yesterday to build 10,000 new beds in retirement homes by year's end and expand medical and entertainment services for another 200,000 elderly people by 2010 in efforts to serve the city's growing elderly population. 

Shanghai's plan to add new beds in existing or future homes for the elderly by the end of 2005 will increase the number from about 40,000 to more than 50,000, according to a government circular released yesterday. 

By 2010, the number of the additional beds will rise to 100,000, serving about 3 per cent of the city's elderly people from the current 1.54 per cent. 

The figure, however, is still less than the minimum international standard of 4 per cent, according to Zhang Shuping, an official from the Shanghai Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau. 

The government will provide 5,000 yuan (US$617) for each additional bed. 

Shanghai is also encouraging communities to build medical and entertainment facilities for the elderly. 

The city plans for all communities to be able to provide medical and entertainment services for another 200,000 elderly people by 2010. The current figure of seniors who have access to such services or facilities is 30,000. 

The ageing population is posing a big challenge to the city, said Jiao Yang, spokeswoman for the municipal government, at yesterday's conference. 

Shanghai, as the first ageing city in the country, now has 2.6 million people who are above 60 years old, nearly 20 per cent of the total registered population.