Chinese minister underlines steadiness in raising retirement age

BEIJING, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Retirement delay in China will be advanced in a steady manner, Minister of Human Resources and Social Security Wang Xiaoping said Friday.

Wang made the remarks at a press conference held after Chinese lawmakers voted to adopt a decision on gradually raising the statutory retirement age in the country.

According to the decision, the statutory retirement age for men will be gradually raised from 60 to 63 over the course of 15 years starting 2025, while that for women cadres and women blue-collar workers will be raised from 55 to 58 and from 50 to 55, respectively.

More than 70 years have passed and significant changes have taken place in the Chinese economy, society and population structure, while workers' demands are growing increasingly diverse, Wang noted.

Adjusting the statutory retirement age will help promote the development and utilization of human resources, increase effective workforce supply, and meet diverse needs of workers in their work and life arrangements, she said. ■