Pension Changes in China and Opportunities for Insurance
In face of the large ageing population and increasing dependence ratio, China is aiming to find an efficient, stable, and sustainable pension system. This article briefly examines the changes that have occurred in China's pension system and explores the pros and cons of the current system. Although China has made a good start in laying the foundation for a multi-pillar pension system, pension reform is still incomplete and many important issues remain. Since the social insurance system alone cannot realistically accomplish the task of old-age security, the private sector, including the insurance industry, should be mobilized to play an active role in China's pension system.
How private sector participation improves retirement preparation: A case from China
This paper shows empirically how private sector participation improves the adequacy and equality of retirement preparation in a three-pillar retirement system. We develop a three-layer replacement rate approach based on the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, a nationwide representative household survey of middle-aged and old aged population. Our empirical evidence shows that private sector participation increased the mean (median) replacement rate in 2013 from 35.4% (15.4%) to 69.8% (48.7%). The evidence also suggests that annuitising home equity is responsible for a large portion of this increase. Surprisingly, private sector participation also mitigates the inequality of retirement preparation between the formal and informal sectors. Our empirical findings emphasise the importance of annuitisable private savings for the retirement income security of the one-fifth of the global population who live in a representatively high-growth and rapidly ageing economy.
The Impact of WTO Accession on China's Insurance Industry
This article provides an overview of China's commitments to the WTO with respect to the insurance sector, along with an analysis of the major issues to be faced by China's insurance industry following WTO accession.