By 2050, there will be more over-60s in China than there are people in the United States—that’s 450 million. Even today there are nearly 180 million, and social and demographic pressures mean that Chinese senior citizens cannot be cared for by their children in the Confucian tradition; the one-child policy means a couple could be responsible for four parents and eight grandparents.

A panel of experts at the Urban Land Institute’s Asia Pacific Summit, held in Beijing last week, found much to discuss but also found it difficult to provide conclusions as to how the market should or would develop. At present there is a network of private and state retirement homes across China, with some state care provided by local authorities and charities, often religious, accounting for a significant proportion of private care…

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