The 7th Hongqiao International Economic Forum (HQF) Parallel session on "A Shared Silver Economy: New Opportunities in An Aging Society" will be held on the afternoon of November 6 in Hall D1, Pavilion 4.2, National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). The forum is hosted by the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), co-organized by the Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission, and organized by the Institute of Economic Development, Shanghai Investment Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

The silver economy is the sum of a series of economic activities aiming at as providing products or services to the elderly and preparing for old age. It involves a wide range of areas, a long industrial chain, diversified business and great potential. On January 11, 2024, the Chinese government issued the Opinions on Developing the Silver Economy to Enhance the Well-being of the Elderly, setting off a boom in the development of the silver economy. Topics of this forum will focus on how to share the new opportunities of population aging through market insight, shared development, exchanges and mutual learning, innovation empowerment, and policy support, so as to promote the high-quality development of the silver economy and inject new momentum into global open development. Zhang Ping, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the 12th National People's Congress, and relavant leaders of the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will attend the forum and deliver speeches. Christopher A. Pissarides, Nobel laureate in economics and professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and Cai Fang, chief expert of the national think tank of the, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, will deliver keynote speeches. Officials, experts and industry leaders from Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission, China National Committee on Ageing, Japan External Trade Organization, German-Sino Healthcare Group, Bank of China and other institutions, organizations and enterprises will participate and share their insights and practices from different perspectives and dimensions regarding the innovative development and open cooperation of the silver economy. At the forum, major research results such as the "China's Urban Capacity Index to Actively Respond to Population Aging (2024)", "Development Report on E-commerce for the Elderly" will be released, and officials will jointly witness the signing of cross-border cooperation projects for enterprises in the field of silver economy.