The Development Research Center of the State Council (DRC) organized a Sino-French Roundtable on Aging with France's Victor Segalen Foundation, and the Suzhou municipal government, in the city of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, Sept 23 - 24.

Taking part were Chen Zhu, vice-chairman of the National People's Congress, Li Wei, minister of the DRC, Sun Zhigang, vice-minister of the National Health and Family Planning Committee, Wang Hongsheng, deputy mayor of Suzhou, and Mrs. Sylvie Bermann, France's ambassador to China.

Presiding over the opening ceremony was the DRC vice-minister, Zhang Laiming, with Sun Xiaoyu, chairman of the China International Association for Rural and Urban Development, delivering a summary.

The participants discussed the challenges and opportunities that come with an aging population, its influence on the economy and society, related medical and nursing matters, and career development, with some taking a positive view on aging and reaching a consensus on some issues.

Also present at the discussions were other DRC representatives, Ministry of Finance, National Health and Family Planning and Ministry of Civil Affairs personnel, Senior Citizen's Work Committee and Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries personnel, members of the Suzhou Government, and local hospital and Aging Service Institute personnel.