Lex (“China demographics: the sectors set to benefit”, Lex, January 18) might be right to bring together China’s “demographic collapse”, the Chinese government’s “initiative with a plan to develop a ‘silver economy’”, and its “overlooked sector” of robotics.
Nevertheless, what Lex fails to mention is how the three might be combined by bringing the last two directly together.
The number of the old and very old will be rising; the number of people in the workforce will be falling. One way in which an otherwise insatiable demand for aged care provision might be met is by using robotics to provide such care.
Japan, which faces similar challenges, has taken steps in this direction. Maybe with a bit of encouragement from Lex, China might think about following suit.
Bernard H Casey
Social Economic Research
London, UK and Frankfurt, Germany
