Xi stresses importance of ensuring senior citizens live happily

Senior residents participate in fishing games in Jinxia Community of Suzhou City, east China's Jiangsu Province, Oct. 12, 2021. The Double Ninth Festival or the Chongyang Festival is approaching. A series of celebration activities were held across the country. (Photo by Hang Xingwei/Xinhua)

BEIJING, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed the importance of implementing the national strategy to address population aging, which will ensure senior citizens enjoy happy lives in their twilight years.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in an instruction on the country's work concerning its aging population, ahead of the Double Ninth Festival, China's Seniors' Day, which this year falls on Thursday.

Ahead of Seniors' Day, Xi extended greetings to all senior citizens in the country, wishing them happy and healthy lives.

Xi urged Party committees and governments at all levels to attach great importance to work related to the aging population, noting that comprehensive measures should be taken to ensure that the elderly live their lives positively and healthily.

In this regard, relevant departments should renew policies, roll out financial support plans, and improve related systems, such as social security, elderly care, and healthcare, Xi said.

Xi also emphasized the necessity to promote the traditional virtue of respecting the elderly and to safeguard their rights and interests.