Speaking at the seminar, Xiao Caiwei, Assistant President of China National Committee on Ageing, said China now has 167 million elderly people, accounting for 13 percent of the population, with 100 million of them living in rural areas.

He said China’s Old Age Security Fund comes from three main sources: old-age pension, salaries, and from their children’s support. However, he said, the country still faces difficulties in caring for elderly people.

Luong Phan Cu, Vice Chairman of Vietnamese National Assembly’s Committee for Social Affairs, said Vietnam aims to advance its socio-economic development with social welfare to ensure basic human rights.

The implementation of social welfare policies will help those struggling with financial difficulties, he said, adding that mutual compassion should be encouraged in society so the disadvantaged people can improve their living standards. This will ultimately strengthen social coherence and development.