China strengthens capacity on long-term care administration through joint training

BEIJING (ILO News) - The International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Social Security Association (ISSA) and China's National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) jointly organized a three-day training on administrative solutions for long-term care from 19 to 21 May 2026 in Beijing. The training was held under the project "Improving China's institutional capacity towards universal social protection (Phase 3)", funded by the European Union.

Rapid population ageing, the growing need to maintain autonomy across the life course, and the rising prevalence of chronic conditions are major global trends driving increased demand for long-term care (LTC). At the same time, traditional caregiving structures are evolving, requiring more robust and responsive systems. In 2025, ISSA issued its Guidelines on Administrative Solutions for Long-Term Care Services to support social security institutions in delivering effective, high-quality LTC services.

China is undergoing one of the world's most significant demographic transitions. In response, China has prioritised the development of long-term care systems, including expanding long-term care insurance, improving functional capacity assessment systems, strengthening the eldercare workforce, and enhancing regulation of services under its 15th Five-Year Plan. Following a decade of pilot programmes, China has recently launched its nationwide long-term care insurance system, with the aim of achieving full national coverage by 2028.

Against this backdrop, the training introduced the ISSA Guidelines and provided a platform to build a shared understanding of the administrative foundations needed for effective long-term care systems. Training sessions were delivered by Ms Nathalie De Wulf (ISSA) and Mr Peter H. T. Chan, international eldercare consultant, and included practical examples and international experiences.

Long-term care insurance requires not only a sound institutional framework, but also high-quality, accessible and people-centred services. The ISSA Guidelines bring together international expertise and practical experience, and will provide valuable reference for the development of long-term care services in China.

Long-term care is not solely about ageing populations. It is fundamentally about the kind of societies we want to build: societies that protect dignity, support independence, and ensure that no one is left behind when care needs arise.

ISSA provides practical, applied knowledge to support its members in their daily work. We hope this exchange will contribute to stronger solutions for people in China and enable valuable experiences to be shared internationally.

We hope that this first comprehensive country-level training on long-term care will support NHSA's ongoing efforts to make healthy ageing possible through an effective, affordable and people-centred long-term care system.

Participants from NHSA and its local branches in Nantong (Jiangsu Province), Ningbo (Zhejiang Province) and Qingdao (Shandong Province) shared China's ongoing reforms and practical local experiences, enabling mutual learning. European perspectives were also presented, including an overview of LTC policies in the European Union, presented by Ms Dorota KORCZYNSKA (DG EMPL of the European Commission), as well as country experiences from Germany, presented by Mr Nils DAHL(Federal Ministry of Health) and Austria, presented by Ms Sabine SCHRANK (Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection), highlighting common challenges such as affordability, accessibility and service quality.

The programme also included a field visit to the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area organized by NHSA, where participants explored developments in China's long-term care industry and service delivery models.

Around 30 representatives from NHSA and its local branches, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the China Disabled Persons' Federation, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the China Enterprise Confederation and research institutions participated in the training.

As the first activity under the project focusing on long-term care, the ILO and NHSA reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening cooperation in this area in the coming years.

Please download the training schedule on the right side of this page.