“That China’s population decline has coincided with the start of [President] Xi’s third term is symbolically and practically significant,” said Wang Feng, [sociology professor], an expert on Chinese demographic change at the University of California, Irvine. … Wang said this growing group of “old-old”, with a higher likelihood of developing costly chronic diseases, would make greater care demands both on their children and the state. … “If this continues, how can China sustain the pension payments for this enlarging elderly population,” said Wang. 

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