中国已经开始面临人口老化。据报道，到2003年，在中国，65岁以上的人口占总人口比重将达7%，这将使中国进入联合国1956年设定的人口老年化国家的行列。到2020年，这个比例将会增加到10.85%，而到2050年，将达到20.43%。

目前，中国暂时还不会成为世界上老年人口比例最大的国家。但是，它的老年化进程比任何一个发展中国家都要快。实际上，中国将成为世界上人口老化进程最快的国家之一，这种变化给中国带来不利因素，它需要中国采取独特的方式照顾老化人口。
敬老工程

这些年来，中国的经济发展得很快，随着国力的逐步增强，国家自1990年以来用于老年人保障的费用支出每年均超过1000亿元，而且是呈连年递增状态，同时还鼓励社会和个人集资、捐款创办了不少年福利设施，解决了一些老年人老有所养、老有所护的问题。然而，对于中国这样一个大国，还要有别的方式给那些需要帮助的孤寡老人提供援助。在社会各界关怀下，一个送温暖的敬老工程在中国兴起，许多青年义务地参加了敬老工程工作，他们不仅四面八方募集到的物质上的援助带给老人，而且为他们解决生活上的需要得到的各式各样的帮助，从而把温馨和爱奉献给孤单无援的老人。

由此可见，“敬老工程”是中国步入老龄化社会前夕为解决众多的老年问题而寻求到的一条具有多种意义的途径，它不仅给孤寡老人带来了福音，而且也弘扬了社会主义精神文明。

China’s aging

China has already begun to face an aging population. It is reported that by 2003 in China, the population over 65 years of age the proportion of the total population will reach 7%, which will allow China into the United Nations in 1956 set the population aging countries in the world. By 2020, this proportion will be increased to 10.85%, while in 2050, it will reach 20.43%.

At present, the time being will not become the world’s largest country in the elderly population. However, it is the process of aging faster than any other developing country. In fact, China will become the world’s population, one of the fastest aging process, this change brought to China unfavorable factors, it needs China to take a unique way to take care of the aging population.
Respect for the elderly project.

In recent years, China’s economy developed rapidly, with the strength becomes stronger, the state since 1990, security expenses for the elderly are more than 100 billion yuan every year, but also the state was increasing year after year, while also encouraging social and personal fund-raising, donations of non-juvenile welfare facilities set up to address a number of elderly people a sense of security, old age care issues. However, for a big country like China, but also there are other ways to those who need help to provide assistance for lonely elderly people. Care in the community, a warmth of respect for the elderly project in China, the rise of many young people took part in respecting the obligation to engineering work, they not only raised in all directions to bring the material assistance to the elderly, but also for their daily needs and get a wide range of help, thus bringing the warmth and love dedicated to the lonely and helpless old man.

This shows that the "senior citizen project," is China’s aging population on the eve of a large number of old age to solve the problem of looking into a way to have multiple meanings, which not only brought the Gospel to the lonely elderly, but also carry forward the socialist spiritual civilization.