News of plans to raise China’s retirement age, found in documents issued after the recently concluded Third Plenum, have ignited a social media firestorm. The text of the plenum’s “resolution,” published to Xinhua, held: “In line with the principle of voluntary participation with appropriate flexibility, we will advance reform to gradually raise the statutory retirement age in a prudent and orderly manner.” China’s current retirement age for urban workers is 60 years for men and 55 for women (or 50, for those working blue-collar jobs). Hashtags related to rumors that the retirement age for the post-90’s generation would be raised to 65-years-old shot to the top three of Weibo’s trending topics lists, with a barrage of comments expressing skepticism and dismay about the move. The main hashtag about the rumored change was later censored and then became the focus of an official “rumor dispelling” media blitz led by state-run outlets—which many paradoxically took as proof of the rumor’s veracity. There are indications that censors also took down posts expressing displeasure about the measure. CDT has compiled a collection of comments from Weibo that captured reactions to the potential change:
离离幺幺77qiqi：Here’s a quick translation: “gradually” means “boiling frogs.”
璃梦之兔：Trying to desensitize us, huh?
三眼仔想睡觉：Sure, why not?. Sixty-five is the perfect age for applying one’s talents and making a mark on the world.
香芹又青了：The post-90’s generation has been well and truly screwed. No allocated jobs. No allocated housing. Not to mention a three-child policy in a country with over 1.4 billion people. College graduates can’t find work. Only a tiny fraction of people manage to pass the civil service exam. It’s a terrible time to extend the retirement age to 65 years old. Given their physical condition, many of the post-90’s generation won’t make it to 65.
L520missing：It’s uncertain whether we’ll even live to 60.
行易灿烂：I love my country, but does my country truly love me?
贪睡大宝贝：Look on the bright side: those who never marry or have children won’t have to worry about dying at home alone without anyone noticing—at least their employer will realize they’ve gone missing.
觉世：And yet you still ask why we don’t want to get married or have kids!
咋咋Liu：Aren’t people being fired by tech companies at 35 [for being “too old”]? Tell me—what are we supposed to do for the remaining 30 years of our lives?
日本大臣：When I was born, you complained I was one child too many. When I had one child, you complained I should have had more. When I tried to find a job, you complained I was too old. When I tried to retire, you said I was too young. —With sincere thanks from all of us 65-year-olds hobbling to work on our canes
西瓜脆脆鲨-：Other than “iron rice bowls” [state-owned industries], who keeps workers on until they’re 65? This is nuts.
眠眠眠猫：Got it. Get “optimized” at 35. Hibernate 30 years without eating, drinking, or spending. Turn 65, then scrape by on your pension until you die.
小微子vvv：Shouldn’t they ask the public what it thinks about such a big change? Or maybe put it to a vote?
Lingeron_z：Have you asked the public to weigh in? “Serve the people” is a joke of cosmic proportions. [Chinese]
Although China’s retirement age is relatively low, changes to it and other benefits for the elderly are highly contentious. Last year, municipal efforts to reform medical insurance policies in Wuhan, Dalian, and Guangzhou inspired protests by senior citizens that were nicknamed the “White Hair Movement” in reference to the youth-dominated “White Paper Movement” in 2022. Earlier this year, mass ridicule greeted a suggestion from a former Party leader that those between the ages of 60-70 be reclassified as “the youthful elderly” and continue working. The state, though, is forging through these concerns. A piece on the reforms suggested by the Third Plenum published by the Party-run tabloid Global Times hailed “the development of the ‘silver-hair economy’ and supporting the creation of diverse jobs tailored to elderly people.”
