June 2023

China to explore housing pension system, improve residential quality: minister

China's housing minister has emphasized the need to improve the quality of housing and explore a housing pension system. Ni Hong, minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, called on the financial institutions to participate in urban construction and renovation, promoting the creation of livable, intelligent, and resilient cities, news outlet CHINAJSB.CN reported on Tuesday.   Ni made the remarks in a meeting with chairman of Bank of China on Monday to discuss a deepening of cooperation between the government and financial institutions,...

China’s private pension market could be US$969 billion opportunity for foreign firms by 2030: KPMG report

Ongoing reforms to China's challenged retirement system present big opportunities for global asset managers wanting to tap into the 28 trillion yuan (US$3.8 trillion) potential market, according to a joint report by KPMG China and the Asia Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (ASIFMA). China's pension system is in urgent need of reform, as the current framework is unable to cope with the needs of an increasingly elderly population, Eugenie Shen, head of ASIFMA Asset Management Group, said in the...

Robot Caregivers: China’s Solution for Aging Population

China, home to the world’s largest aging population, is facing a significant challenge in providing adequate care and support for its elderly citizens. However, in a remarkable display of innovation and foresight, China embraces the potential of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) to address this pressing issue. Focusing on developing cutting-edge technology, China aims to utilize robots as caregivers for older adults, revolutionizing how aging populations are cared for. This article delves into China’s ambitious endeavors, highlighting the advancements...

China. TV series set to teach elderly people about health

China's first TV series popularizing health information for the elderly premiered in Shanghai on Wednesday. The 10-episode series, which takes a lighthearted approach, focuses on helping the elderly understand common acute and severe threats to health, as well as chronic diseases in a scientific way, and also teaches them how to take precautions just in case. The show is the joint creation of Huashan Hospital Affiliated with Fudan University and the Shanghai Theatre Academy and is titled Ms Kang and Her...

Top asset manager says pension fund clients are turning skittish on China — ‘There is a very real geopolitical risk’

APG's pension fund clients are more worried about investing in China, the Financial Times reported. That's as geopolitical risk has grown, with China increasingly at odds with the West. "There is a very real geopolitical risk that has been added to the proposition." Rising international tensions with Beijing are a serious factor in the worsening skepticism around Chinese investments, APG Asset Management told The Financial Times. One of the largest asset managers in the world, the firm is in charge of about $570...

Canadian pension fund CDPQ puts brakes on China investment – FT

Canada's second-largest pension fund Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) has stopped making private deals in China and will close its Shanghai office later this year, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. CDPQ is currently leading its regional investment efforts from Singapore, the report said, adding that it still has business interests in China. "We paused private investments for some time already — and have focused on liquid markets, which is the majority...

May 2023

China. From demographic dividend to talent dividend

Population aging is a distinct demographic phenomenon in the 21st century, with declining fertility and increasing life expectancy combining to raise the share of elderly people in the total population of many countries. But unlike in Western developed countries, China's total fertility rate has declined drastically within a short period of time — from more than 6.0 in the late 1960s to 2.1 in 1991 and 1.6-1.7 since 1994 to 1.07 in 2022. In comparison, the total fertility rate is...

Goldman Sachs’s China dealmaker stops tapping US investors

The head of Goldman Sachs’s private equity business in Asia has said she has stopped trying to raise money in the US because of geopolitical tensions between Washington and Beijing. Stephanie Hui, who runs the Asia-Pacific private and growth equity arm of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, with investments that include deals in China, made the comments at a private equity conference in Hong Kong on Tuesday. “I’ve been asked to do observations of what we’re seeing in the marketplace . . . [one is] the...

ChatGPT spurs interest of pensions and institutional investors in Chinese AI firms

ChatGPT has brought artificial intelligence to the forefront of institutional investors' minds and Chinese AI companies are benefiting from that interest — even if limited partners and venture capital firms are keeping silent on the topic. A February report by the Center for Security and Emerging Technology, a research organization within Georgetown University in Washington, said that Chinese AI firms raised $110 billion between 2015 and 2021, of which $40.2 billion came from syndication deals in which U.S. investors participated....

China continues to raise basic pension payments for retirees

China announced Monday that it will raise the basic pension payments for retirees in 2023, marking 19th consecutive annual increase. The average monthly payment for pensioners of enterprises, government agencies and public institutions is set to be lifted by 3.8 percent from the 2022 level, according to a circular jointly issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Ministry of Finance. Last year, China raised the basic pension payments for retirees by 4 percent from level of...