Firm course charted for modernization
China DailySONG CHEN/CHINA DAILY Fresh model to counter low birthrate, aging population China's new demographic development model, which prioritizes improving the overall quality of people's lives and the workforce, will help propel modernization, officials and experts said. Zhang Xuyin, deputy head of the China Population and Development Research Center, said, "The meeting sent a strong signal from China's top central leadership that the country's demography has entered a phase of promoting high-quality development, which will provide a solid bedrock and offer sustained impetus for modernization." More significantly, Zhang, from the China Population and Development Research Center, said the nation's workforce will remain strong in terms of quantity and quality. Zhang said, "There is no doubt that China's fertility rate is at a relatively low level, but we should also recognize that the nation has the potential to raise its fertility, and there is room for an increase as supportive policies aimed at encouraging births are gradually implemented nationwide."