China to improve standards for elderly care

BEIJING - China will issue seven new state standards for elderly care to further protect the rights of old people, according to the Standardization Administration on Friday.

The standards will mainly focus on management and facilities in elderly homes, but the administration did not reveal when they will be issued.

China already has two state standards, on buildings and service quality, as well as 30 local standards for elderly care.

The number of people aged 60 or above is expected to hit 202 million by the end of 2013, or 14.8 percent of the total population, while the country's working population is shrinking, according to a report by China Research Center on Aging issued in February.