China's pension system.
The government on July 1 launched a scheme to redistribute pension funds from rich provinces with surpluses to poor ones with deficits. Pressure on the pension system is one result of rapid demographic ageing -- one of the most pressing issues facing China's government. The gap between pension contributions and benefits paid out could approach 100 billion dollars by 2020. Various reforms over the past few months aim to make pension schemes more sustainable.
Private and commercial insurance, now encouraged by Beijing, will likely grow rapidly in the coming years.
Insurance products and public pension funds investing in equities will contribute to the development of China's financial markets.
The minimum benefits for the rural basic pension will rise, but enormous imbalances will persist between urban and rural residents.
Although not currently open to foreign players, a huge market in private pensions could open in the future as the industry matures.
