State Council Targets Elderly Care, Medical Rehabilitation, and Sports Economy

China's State Council executive meeting, chaired by Premier Li Qiang, outlined comprehensive measures spanning elderly care, healthcare infrastructure, and sports consumption. The cabinet called for expanding inclusive eldercare, rolling out a capacity-boosting initiative for medical rehabilitation and nursing, and integrating sports events with tourism and retail. Additionally, the meeting approved draft regulations to protect traditional Chinese medicine knowledge and submitted draft amendments covering fifteen laws, including the Emergency Response Law, to the national legislature.

The cabinet's agenda balances immediate domestic consumption drivers with long-term structural demographic challenges. By encouraging silver-economy consumption and standardizing sports event operations, Beijing aims to unlock service sector spending. Simultaneously, upgrading grassroots rehabilitation facilities and overhauling pricing frameworks for long-term care targets critical infrastructure deficits created by an aging populace.

Premier Li Qiang chaired an executive meeting of the State Council to review elderly affairs, promote sports event development, deploy healthcare expansion programs, and review legal draft measures, according to reports by Xinhua and Securities Times. The cabinet underscored the necessity of implementing the national strategy to respond to population aging. Officials called for advancing senior welfare by strengthening elderly services, health promotion, and social security. The meeting stressed building a multi-level pension system, connecting home, community, and institutional eldercare, and expanding inclusive services. To meet rising consumer expectations, the State Council encouraged diversifying silver-economy products and developing new consumption scenarios tailored to seniors. To address healthcare demand, the meeting deployed an expansion and upgrade project for medical rehabilitation and nursing services. The State Council mandated strengthening grassroots capacity and extending care services directly to communities and households to improve rural and urban accessibility. The initiative emphasizes technological innovation, particularly developing intelligent rehabilitation equipment. Policy backing will include dynamically adjusting insurance directories for long-term care and rehabilitation, deepening pricing reforms for medical nursing services, and improving workforce training incentives. The meeting also examined policies to foster high-quality sports events. Leadership emphasized maximizing the use of venues and resources across competitive, professional, and grassroots sports. The cabinet directed authorities to integrate sporting tournaments with culture, tourism, and commerce to enhance spectator experiences and expand indirect economic impacts. To safeguard event execution, the State Council pledged to cultivate specialized event operators while improving institutional oversight for venues, personnel, and operating entities. On the legislative front, the executive meeting reviewed and approved the draft Regulation on the Protection of Traditional Knowledge of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The regulation aims to preserve foundational knowledge, support research into clinical mechanisms, and strengthen international exchange. Furthermore, the cabinet discussed and approved in principle a draft bill amending fifteen statutes, including the Emergency Response Law, deciding to submit the amendments to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for legislative deliberation.