President Xi Jinping's Spring Festival inspection tour this week offered a vivid snapshot of China's evolving social priorities, blending traditional holiday warmth with modern governance challenges. From scrutinizing meal prices at a Beijing hutong eatery to discussing rehabilitation programs at a senior apartment, Xi emphasized 'creating better conditions for elderly citizens to enjoy fulfilling twilight years' during his Tuesday visit to Xicheng District's elderly care service zone.
Addressing an Aging Society
With 23% of China's population now aged 60 or older, the tour highlighted Beijing's accelerated development of integrated care networks. The visited facility—part of 2024 livelihood initiatives—showcases barrier-free designs and clustered services now replicated through 400,000 nationwide facilities. As China implements its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), focus intensifies on expanding pension coverage beyond the current 1.07 billion insured citizens and building '15-minute elderly care service circles' in urban areas.
Protecting New Workforce Frontiers
Xi's conversation with delivery workers outside the community canteen underscored efforts to safeguard rights for 84 million workers in new employment sectors. With express delivery volumes surpassing 180 billion parcels annually, the government plans new measures to improve social security and working conditions for this predominantly under-35 demographic.
Revitalizing Urban Spaces
The tour's final stop at Longfusi commercial area demonstrated China's urban renewal strategy, where historic Beijing neighborhoods merge with modern consumer experiences. This aligns with nationwide projects that renovated 220,000 aging residential communities in five years, including 27,100 upgraded in 2025 alone alongside thousands of new pocket parks and greenways.
