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China Launches Welfare Plan for Elderly
China Friday started a nationwide campaign aimed at providing more benefits and facilities to improve the lives of millions of elderly people in the country, said the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
The Starlight Plan, launched by the ministry, aims to build more facilities and sites for sports and recreational purposes for the elderly in both urban and rural areas, a ministry official said.
More than 10 billion yuan (1.2 billion U.S. dollars) will be invested in the project in three years, with 80 percent of the money coming from the welfare lottery income, he said.
China has 132 million people who are aged over 60, accounting for 10 percent of the country's total population. The elderly population is expected to grow by 3.2 percent yearly over the next five decades.
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