Lijing Gao publishes article in The Diplomat
Lijing Gao, Assistant Professor of Agricultural Science Communication at the University of Missouri, recently published an article in The Diplomat. Titled “China Can’t Talk About Birth Rates Without Talking About Rural Pensions,” the article focuses on the need to support elderly adults in China in the context of declining birth rates, especially in rural areas. As Gao notes, the Chinese government is aware of the population problems, but its proffered solutions assume that family planning is primarily shaped by the immediate costs of raising children instead of addressing the needs of older adults. Gao writes, “When older parents lack adequate pension income, adult children become their safety net. That responsibility shapes career choices, savings, marriage decisions, and ultimately whether starting a family feels financially feasible.”