Beijing to further open elderly care market

Beijing will further open its elderly care market, with private institutions running at least 50 percent of beds for the elderly by 2020.

The municipality recently issued the "Implementation Opinion on Opening up the Elderly Care Market and Further Promoting the Development of the Elderly Care Market," which lays out easier conditions for market access.

People who run chain nursing homes can be registered at a single sub-district through the more convenient "green channel." Investors coming from outside Beijing can enjoy the same treatment as Beijing investors when they launch elderly care projects. Foreign investors are also encouraged to set up for-profit nursing homes, and foreigners who run not-for-profit nursing homes will enjoy the same preferential policy as Chinese investors.

The municipality will also support private operators of elderly care by purchasing their services, providing facilities for free, offering subsidies and charging the same utility rates at nursing homes as that in households.

The document also maps out priorities for different sub-districts. The city’s six major districts, namely, Dongcheng District, Xicheng District, Haidian District, Chaoyang District, Fengtai District and Shijingshan District, will focus on care, education, information technology and financial services for elderly people. The flat areas in suburban Beijing (outside the six major districts) will prioritize nursing homes and accommodation for senior citizens, while the mountainous areas in suburban Beijing will focus on recreation and tourism for elderly people.