Understanding Demographic Challenges of Transition Through the China Lens

Abstract

This chapter elaborates the economics of China’s “premature ageing” fears and China’s ensuing long-run economic demography transition strategy. Thereafter it draws attention to very recent economic demography trends, including that since the late twentieth century—led by Slovenia among transition economies—countries have tended to get rich after getting “old” instead of when “young”. Although the relationship between economics and demography is more complex than was assumed in 1980s China, nonetheless the long-run economic demography transition strategy that China evolved forms a cogent reference for all countries, transition economies especially.