We Are Living Longer than Before, But Are We Healthier?

31 July 2018   |   12:00–14:00   |   Room 505, Esther Lee Building, CUHK

Speakers
Prof. Jean Woo

Dr Ruby H. Y. Yu

Director, CUHK Jockey Club Institute of Ageing

Research Fellow, CUHK Jockey Club Institute of Ageing

Discussants
Mr Woon-kwong Lam


Ms Sandra S. Y. Lee

Honorary Senior Research Fellow, HKIAPS; Former Convenor,
Executive Council, HKSAR Government

Former Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Health),
HKSAR Government

Moderator
Prof. Fanny M. Cheung

Pro-Vice-Chancellor, CUHK; Co-Director, HKIAPS

Organizers
Policy Research @ HKIAPS
CUHK Jockey Club Institute of Ageing

Hong Kong tops the world charts for longevity, with men expected to live to 81 years and women to 87 years in 2016. This longevity is a great achievement, but does a longer life mean a healthy life? In the seminar, Prof. Woo first gave some background on the topic, and also discussed Hong Kong’s ageing population and the importance of paying attention to the issue of frailty. Dr Yu then further discussed trends in frailty and functional disabilities among older Chinese people in Hong Kong.

Considering the growing number of people with complex health and social care needs, especially frail older people, additional nurses and care workers will be required to care for older people. The current models of care are unsustainable. The research team discussed priorities for policy, practice, and research to enable people to age well, focusing particularly on the significance of the role played by effective primary care services in delivering quality care and on the importance of providing supportive environments for improving health and well-being.

Two discussants, Mr Lam and Ms Lee, gave their feedback on policy directions. Mr Lam compared several health indicators of Hong Kong with those of other countries and regions. He stated that no matter how well the doctors are doing, people in Hong Kong keep ageing and the number of frail, elderly people will keep growing. Although the HKSAR government has slightly increased its investments in the area of health in the past few years, health remains an underinvested area when measured in terms of its share of public expenditures. He emphasized that a great deal of time will be needed to catch up with developments in this area, and that the government will need to overinvest in this field for quite a long period of time.

Ms Lee discussed past health policies and stated that the government must recognize that all of its policies, whether in the areas of labour planning or health care services planning, should include an element involving the elderly. Institutes must find a way to present the idea to the government that ageing is an issue that the government should not avoid. She stressed that the problem that we are facing today is that the ageing population has increased, while the government is still catching up from previous cut-backs. She pointed out that, regardless of what happens, the government should not reduce its health budget, as more than a decade will be needed to catch up with developments in this area.

More than 30 scholars, researchers, and CUHK staff attended the seminar. ■

The Challenges of the U.S.-China Trade Relationship

12 July 2018   |   12:30–14:00   |   Room 505, Esther Lee Building, CUHK

Speaker
Prof. Liugang Sheng

Director, Trade and Development Programme, Economic Research Centre, HKIAPS

Moderator
Prof. Travis K. H. Ng

Associate Professor, Department of Economics, CUHK

Organizers
Policy Research @ HKIAPS
Global China Research Programme, CUHK

In the seminar, Prof. Sheng first explained how the U.S.-China trade relationship has developed over the past 20 years. He gave three reasons for the occurrence of the U.S.-China trade war: the rise of China’s economy, the impact of globalization on inequality, and the acceleration of American populism in the post-financial crisis era. This is proven by the increase in China’s GDP as a proportion of that of the U.S., from around 5% in 1991 to around 65% in 2017. Since 2012, China’s trade has exceeded that of the U.S. in value, and China has made large investments in research and development to enhance its technology.

After providing background on the U.S.-China trade war, Prof. Sheng quantified the impact of the trade war on both countries. U.S. president Donald Trump has approved the imposition of tariffs on US$50 billion worth of Chinese goods. Prof. Sheng estimated that on China’s side, by industry, manufacturers of electronic appliances will suffer the largest part of the loss. By region, Jiangsu province will suffer the most. On the U.S. side, producers of oil seeds and oleaginous fruits, and the State of Louisiana, will be the major victims in the trade war. He recommends that China and the U.S. explore the establishment of a strategic competitive relationship. Protecting intellectual property and autonomous technological innovations are essential to maintaining competitiveness in manufacturing.

More than 50 scholars, researchers, students, and CUHK staff attended the seminar. ■