On April 17, 2023, a press briefing on the preparations for the 9th China International Senior Services Expo （CISSE） was held in Beijing. Feng Xiaoli, President of China Association of Social Welfare and Senior Services (CASWSS), briefed on the preparations for the 9th CISSE. Hao Yanyan, Executive Vice President of Chinese Health Association, attended the meeting and Li Jianjun, Vice President of CASWSS, presided over the meeting.

   Nearly 30 mainstream media and industry attended the press briefing, including People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency, China Society News, China Aged News, China Reform Daily, Economic Daily, People. cn, Xinhua Net, China Daily Net, CCTV Net, China Net, Beijing Daily, Beijing Youth Daily, China Times, The People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, BJNEWS.cn, Beijing Community News, Public Welfare Times, QQ.com, TopBuzz, China Civil Affairs, China Aged Magazine, etc.

CISSE has been successfully held for eight sessions. This year's fair will earnestly implement the principle of the 20th CPC Congress, fully cooperate with the work arrangement made by the Party and the State in the national strategy of actively responding to population ageing, put into practice the philosophy of positive ageing and healthy ageing, focus on the needs of the elderly for a better life in the new era, further play the platform role of social organizations to pool wisdom and strengths. By organizing this year's fair and related activities, CASWSS will promote in-depth exchanges and cooperation between the domestic and overseas industries, actively cultivate new forms of business for elderly services, expand new markets for elderly services, and make new contributions to continuously improving the well-being of the elderly and promoting social harmony and progress.

At the press briefing, President Feng Xiaoli introduced the progress of the preparatory work for the 9th CISSE. The 9th CISSE is hosted by CASWSS, Chinese Health Association and Zhongfu Elderly Service Co., Ltd. The expo will continue to uphold the purpose of "gratitude, care, service and development", organize more than 280 government departments, social organizations and brand organizations from more than 20 countries and regions to participate in the event. Multiple exhibition areas would be set up for international elderly care service brands, domestic elderly care service brands, elderly service talents training, intellectual elderly care information technology, and the latest research and development achievements of ageing-friendly facilities and equipment. The expo would also pool high-quality international resources and hold International Elderly Service Brands Business Collaboration Seminar as well as series of promotional fairs to lead the innovative development of the industry.

There are five highlights for the 9th CISSE:

Highlight 1: Fruitful achievements in policy fostering and practical innovation

The main forum will focus on the achievements of international and domestic elderly service innovations and the new topics of fostering new business models of elderly service during the 14th Five-Year Plan period of the state. Heads of government departments and industry management departments from home and abroad will actively offer their suggestions and advice to discuss on the innovation and development of elderly service industry. The sub-forums will focus on the achievement promotion of the 100 elderly service brands cultivation, the demonstration of the achievements of pilot project of the Ministry of Education's 1+X elderly care vocational technical grade certificate and the innovative models of professional talents team building for elderly services, the elderly TCM health management service, and the elderly legal service and rights protection. Experts, scholars and practitioners from home and abroad will discuss deeply into the topics and share their experiences.

Highlight 2: Combination of measures to promote international cooperation and exchange

The 9^th CISSE has received strong support from the International Federation on Ageing (IFA) and the embassies of Canada, Netherlands, France, etc. as well as social forces from the international community. Elderly Service enterprises from Russia, France, Germany, Singapore and North America, Europe and Asia will actively participate both online and offline. On the site of the expo, the International Elderly Service Brands Business Collaboration Seminar will be held to showcase the development of open and integrated development trend of Chinese elderly service industry and effectively promote the localization of international brands in China.

Highlight 3: Domestic brands in elderly services display splendors

This year's fair has received strong support from the civil affairs departments of various provinces and cities, and many local government departments and provincial associations of the elderly services industry have actively organized local brand organizations to participate in the fair, such as: "Zhejiang pavilion", "Chongqing pavilion", "Qingdao pavilion", "Hebei pavilion", "Inner Mongolia pavilion", "Heilongjiang pavilion", "Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps pavilion", etc. The fair will also launch "100 elderly service brands of CASWSS Members", such as institutions from Beijing--"SDIC Health Elderly Apartment", "Zhangyou Group" "Da’ai City" "Ci'aijia"" "Youhuwanjia" "Zizaianhe ""Bulaoshanzhuang"" "Eagle's Eye", institutions from Shanghai--"Jiurucheng" "Jinzhifu" "Rongtai", institutions from Chongqing--"The First Social Welfare Home of Chongqing", " Qinggang Elderly Care Centre of Chongqing Medical University" "China Railway Renzhi", "Everbright Bailingbang", institutions from Hebei--"Yanda Golden Age", "Renai Medical Care" "Yiling Pharmaceutical", institutions from Jiangsu--"Yangzhou Social Welfare Centre" and "Nanjing Xiaode", institutions from Zhejiang--"Golden Age" ", "Ningbo Yilangyuan", "Hangzhou Binjiang Lvkang", "Large Real Estate", "Yijia Medical Cloud", "Ningbo Nanshan Sanatorium", "Hangzhou Hisazumi HOLDINGS", "Yiheyuan", institutions from Heilongjiang--"Seafarers’ General Hospital", institution from Shaanxi-- "Rong Hua Group", institutions from Shandong--"Yantai Elderly Welfare Centre" and "Fucai Sifang Elderly Residence" "JBINFO", "Cihai Group", institution from Hunan--"Kangle Nianhua", institution from Guangdong "Baoli Hepin" "Laibang Pension", "Zhen Pin Le Shan", institutions from Sichuan--"The 2^nd Welfare Home of Chengdu", "Yadu", institutions from Inner Mongolia-- "RENAFAN", "Changzheng Rehabilitation and Health Care", "Zhuihuiyanlao", "Huabang Wonderful Home", institutions from Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, "Wujialebao", "Yinling Big Family", "Tianyi Youtai" and institutions from Tibet--"Zhengren Huikang" in Tibet. These institutions will showcase together the achievements of the brand cultivation of domestic elderly care services.

Highlight 4: Social forces cooperate with government departments to innovate and promote the fruitful development of the elderly service talents team building

This year's fair has set up a special exhibition area for vocational education and talents cultivation. Representative of CASWSS pilot colleges for the 1+X Vocational Technical Grade Certificate--Changsha Social Work College, Beijing Social Administration Vocational College, Liaocheng Vocational & Technical College, HONG KONG Chu Hai College, Yichun Vocational Technical College, Heilongjiang Civil Affairs Vocational Technical School and the provincial assessment stations of the pilot project will jointly exhibit at the fair. The exhibition also welcomes international and domestic vocational education and training institutions such as F+U Sachsen gGmbH, Beijing Medical University Times Education and Beijing Secondary Vocational Education Group, which focused on the achievements of elderly service talents team building through the innovative efforts social forces in cooperation with government departments.

Concurrent of the exhibition, CASWSS will formally establish the Elderly Service Professional Talents Team Building Branch, and hold relevant sub-forum to showcase the achievements, organize domestic and foreign vocational education institutions and colleges to actively discuss on the innovative models for the construction of talent teams for elderly services, join hands to expand the channels for the integration of industry and education and the training of talents in the field of elderly services, and provide sustainable intellectual support to address the mismatch between the professional demand for elderly services and the insufficient service supply. An ‘Elderly Service Professional Talents Recruitment Fair’ will be held concurrently to innovate in the service models to support the flow of high-quality education resources towards the industry as well as the employment of vocational college graduates. Through the series of activities, we will earnestly implement the spirit of the Ministry of Civil Affairs' National Conference on Promoting the Construction of Elderly Care Talents Team Building and create a "strong magnetic field" to attract and retain talents.

Highlight 5: Focuse on latest needs and foster new forms of business for elderly services

This year's expo will focus on the latest products for elderly rehabilitation and care, and innovatively launch a life experience hall for the elderly with dementia, guiding social forces to focus on and support the research and development of environment building and service products for the disabled and semi-disabled elderly, and expanding the market for elderly services; the expo also focuses on the service needs for life and health of 210 million dynamic elderly people, social participation and protection of their own rights and interests, and innovatively launches the " elderly TCM health management service model", "legal and rights protection service model for the elderly" and "elderly cultural service model". Through the establishment of Elderly TCM Health Management Service Branch and Legal Service Branch and the organization of related sub-forums, the Zhongfu Elderly Culture & Arts Gala and :Charms of Older Persons-Photography Exhibition, CISSE intends to guide the whole society to pay attention to and actively participate in the cultivation of the new mode of elderly services. In addition, the briefing also announced that the 9th CISSE will be held in Beijing - China National Convention Centre from 5-7 May, 2023.

In the end, the journalists asked questions on the spot about their concerns, and the leaders at the meeting made patient reply. Through the press briefing, the journalists are filled with anticipation towards the upcoming 9th CISSE, and they expressed willingness to carefully organize on-site interviews and reports, and conduct well promotion for the expo.