How technology is shaping a new era for a Healthy China

China has set an ambitious goal: to build a "Healthy China" by 2035. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the country has already delivered a track record of remarkable achievements. Life expectancy has risen to 79 years, while coverage of basic medical insurance has achieved more than 95%. A tiered healthcare system is steadily taking shape, extending services from disease prevention to rehabilitation and long-term care.

At the same time, growing health awareness among the public is driving a surge in demand for medical care, elderly services and health management. In response, China's health industry is expanding rapidly with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and smart healthcare.

In eastern China's Zhejiang Province, the cases of two patients offer a glimpse into this significant transformation. Mr. Fang from Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, sought medical attention for a persistent cough and underwent a routine chest Computed Tomography (CT) scan. The initial report showed no abnormalities. However, an AI-powered screening system later flagged his scan as highly suspicious for pancreatic cancer. In nearby Ningbo, Mr. Qiu shared a similar story. He visited a hospital for diabetes medication and received an alert after a routine abdominal CT. Both men were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a disease with an extremely high fatality rate. However, thanks to the timely detection, they were diagnosed at an early stage, thus the disease had not yet spread, allowing for successful surgical removal. Both have since recovered well.

Their early diagnoses were made possible by an AI tool known as PANDA, short for Pancreatic Cancer Detection with Artificial Intelligence. Developed by researchers affiliated with Chinese tech giant Alibaba, PANDA is trained to detect pancreatic cancer from non-contrast CT scans. Since its initial rollout in 2021, the technology has been deployed in more than 1,000 medical institutions and has provided early cancer screening services to over 20 million people worldwide.

According to Zhang Ling, head of the multi-cancer screening AI team, the technology can identify cancerous lesions that are often invisible to the human eye. It can also analyze the risk of multiple cancers in a single CT scan within 30 seconds. The system is trained on vast amounts of multimodal data, including pathology reports, imaging scans and clinical records, enabling AI to learn what early-stage tumors look like. Continuous algorithm optimization has further improved both its sensitivity and specificity. "The true value of AI in healthcare," Zhang notes, "doesn't lie in serving a privileged few, but in making healthcare accessible to all."

Beyond early cancer detection, technology is also reshaping elderly care. By the end of 2024, China's population aged 60 and above exceeded 300 million for the first time. In this aging society, demand for eldercare surges, creating a vast market for innovations such as care robots for seniors. In recent years, the idea of "robot-assisted elderly care" has gained traction. Governments, tech companies and care institutions are exploring new models that combine robotic assistance, family support and professional care.

As early as 2016, five small robotic assistants were introduced at a welfare center in east China's Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. These robots could sing, dance and even help elderly residents talk to their families via video calls. Today, more advanced systems are being deployed. In 2025, a welfare center in Hangzhou introduced "Xiao Xi," an AI-powered eldercare robot that is capable of monitoring health conditions and communicating in local dialects. In southwest China's Chongqing, robots equipped with facial recognition, emotion detection and voice analysis technologies can provide not only daily assistance but also emotional support, helping caregivers better understand and respond to the psychological needs of the elderly.

Despite impressive progress made, challenges remain. High costs, limited functions and restricted market access continue to hinder wider adoption of such caregiving robots. In light of this, China has introduced a series of policy measures to support the healthy development of the eldercare robotics industry.

Looking ahead, the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) will be critical to achieving the "Healthy China" vision by 2035. As demographic shifts and public demand for diverse and high-quality health services continues to grow, technology is poised to play a central role in the healthcare industry. From AI diagnostics to smart eldercare, technological innovation is not just transforming how healthcare is delivered, but also redefining what a healthy society looks like.