Six Chinese government departments, including the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, have issued new measures to promote the consumption of products for the elderly. The initiative focuses on integrating age-friendly products into home care, community service centers, and retail spaces.
The policy encourages the development of specialized zones for elderly-oriented products in shopping malls and supermarkets. It also calls for e-commerce platforms to create dedicated 'silver economy' sections and simplified shopping interfaces to improve accessibility for older consumers.
A key component of the plan is the acceleration of advanced technology deployment in the elderly care sector. This includes the development and application of embodied AI, large language models, brain-computer interfaces, and exoskeleton technology to assist with nursing, rehabilitation, and companionship.
The government is promoting flexible business models such as equipment leasing to reduce costs for users. It also supports the use of immersive technologies like augmented reality (AR) to provide interactive product demonstrations and professional guidance for elderly consumers.
