China is facing a profound demographic transition. Government data shows that the country's population aged 60 and above has surpassed 300 million and is projected to reach about 390 million by 2030, moving the nation from moderately aged society to a severely aged one.

In response, the integration of policies targeting both the elderly and the young has become a central pillar of China's long-term strategy.

The communique from the recent Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee – which approved the recommendations for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) – highlights the focus. For foreign observers, the key takeaway is China's sustained commitment to improving public well-being and promoting high-quality population development.

The new blueprint is trying to build a resilient social safety system that accommodates the new demographic reality.

Firstly, the call to improve the social security system directly addresses the fiscal pressure of an aging society. This will likely involve moves to solidify the pension system, potentially through efforts to develop the "silver economy," which is the market for elderly services, health and tech.

The countermeasure to aging is the strong emphasis on the younger generation. The plan explicitly mandates developing education to people's satisfaction and calls for a concerted effort to promote high-quality population development. This high-level language signals expanded investment in public services like high-quality education and, crucially, childcare and birth-rate boosting policies to alleviate the high costs of raising a family.

Lastly, this push is not a new beginning but an acceleration of the strategies to address the aging population introduced in 2020. China views this as a vital long-term effort to ensure social stability and sustained growth, signaling that these policies will be consistently prioritized throughout the next five-year period.

For multinational companies and global policy makers, the communique indicates that state-led capital and policy support may increasingly flow into the care economy, public health, education and innovative demographic technologies, positioning these sectors for potential growth five years ahead.