Chen Chien-Jen: Hopes to Redefine Aging; Wisdom of Elders is a National Dividend
Former Vice President Chen Chien-Jen advocates redefining "old age," viewing the wisdom of the elderly as a national asset rather than a burden. This was discussed at the "2026 DBS Foundation Excellence in Impact Forum" focusing on health, financial resilience, and social connection for seniors.
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- 📰 Published: April 27, 2026 at 18:48
- 🔍 Collected: April 27, 2026 at 19:02 (13 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 27, 2026 at 20:51 (1h 49m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Lu Yen-tzu, Taipei, April 27) Taiwan is entering a super-aged society, with the population aged 65 and above accounting for over 20%, yet the labor participation rate is less than 10%. Chen Chien-Jen, academician of Academia Sinica and former Vice President, stated today that he hopes to redefine aging, breaking away from the mindset that "population aging is a social burden," and to let the wisdom of the elderly become a national dividend.
The DBS Foundation held the "2026 DBS Foundation Excellence in Impact Forum" today, focusing on issues such as health, financial resilience, and social connection, and invited Chen Chien-Jen and Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Lu Chien-te to deliver speeches.
Wei Hung-ying, head of the DBS Foundation, stated that as the lifestyles and social roles of the elderly continue to change, they are no longer merely recipients of care but participate in society in more diverse ways. The issue of aging should no longer be viewed with the traditional mindset of "filling gaps," but rather as an important opportunity to promote social innovation. Especially in Taiwan, the labor participation rate of people aged 65 and above is still below 10%, indicating that there is still considerable room for improvement in this potential momentum.
Chen Chien-Jen stated that he hopes to redefine "aging." Longevity is not just a challenge of population aging, but also an opportunity for social transformation. He believes that the old mindset of "population aging is a social burden" should be abandoned, because human history is at an unprecedented turning point. He believes that longevity is the result of human civilization's progress and medical development, and the life experiences and wisdom of the elderly are important social assets and national dividends.
Chen Chien-Jen explained that longevity is not just the extension of life, but the re-diffusion and re-expansion of life's possibilities. As he often says, the meaning of longevity is not to add years to life, but to add life to years. In other words, there will be new life, prospects, and future in the journey of life.
Chen Chien-Jen shared that he recently attended the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL) conference in Istanbul, Turkey. Every morning, he attended mass at the local Roman Catholic church. The late Pope Saint John XXIII was once the representative of that diocese, and when he was elected Pope, he was 77 years old. The outside world considered him a "transitional Pope." Unexpectedly, after taking office, he promoted reforms, causing great changes, which shows that age is not a limit to reform and innovation, but rather the accumulation of wisdom.
Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Lu Chien-te mentioned that as Taiwan enters a super-aged society, the government has proposed policies in two aspects: long-term care and care for isolated elderly. This includes a long-term care budget of over NT$115.3 billion this year, an increase in long-term care facilities to 15,624, and care facilities reaching 5,242, hoping to achieve the goal of one long-term care facility per village/community in Taiwan by 2030.
Lu Chien-te added that according to statistics, the elderly population in Taiwan has reached 4.67 million, accounting for 20.7% of the total population, of which about 1.1 million are isolated elderly. He hopes to find solutions to the super-aged society through care services and smart assistive devices.
Huang Szu-han, General Manager of DBS Bank (Taiwan), stated that with declining birth rates, extended lifespans, and changing family structures, the Taiwanese public generally faces anxiety and uncertainty due to insufficient financial preparation. According to a survey, as high as 75% of people aged 50 and above feel that their "finances are barely making ends meet." Therefore, financial institutions should play a more active role in helping the public reduce financial anxiety and establish a long-term and resilient financial foundation.
The DBS Foundation stated that last year, it promoted various elderly-focused projects in response to the needs of the longevity society, such as addressing the increasingly prominent challenge of "insufficient financial security" in the aging society. In cooperation with the Money Trainer Financial Business Research Center, it launched Taiwan's first artificial intelligence (AI) financial health check platform to help the public review their financial status and start financial planning early to enhance social financial resilience. (Editor: Yang Lan-hsuan) 1150427
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(Central News Agency reporter Lu Yen-tzu, Taipei, April 27) Taiwan is entering a super-aged society, with the population aged 65 and above accounting for over 20%, yet the labor participation rate is less than 10%. Chen Chien-Jen, academician of Academia Sinica and former Vice President, stated today that he hopes to redefine aging, breaking away from the mindset that "population aging is a social burden," and to let the wisdom of the elderly become a national dividend.
The DBS Foundation held the "2026 DBS Foundation Excellence in Impact Forum" today, focusing on issues such as health, financial resilience, and social connection, and invited Chen Chien-Jen and Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Lu Chien-te to deliver speeches.
Wei Hung-ying, head of the DBS Foundation, stated that as the lifestyles and social roles of the elderly continue to change, they are no longer merely recipients of care but participate in society in more diverse ways. The issue of aging should no longer be viewed with the traditional mindset of "filling gaps," but rather as an important opportunity to promote social innovation. Especially in Taiwan, the labor participation rate of people aged 65 and above is still below 10%, indicating that there is still considerable room for improvement in this potential momentum.
Chen Chien-Jen stated that he hopes to redefine "aging." Longevity is not just a challenge of population aging, but also an opportunity for social transformation. He believes that the old mindset of "population aging is a social burden" should be abandoned, because human history is at an unprecedented turning point. He believes that longevity is the result of human civilization's progress and medical development, and the life experiences and wisdom of the elderly are important social assets and national dividends.
Chen Chien-Jen explained that longevity is not just the extension of life, but the re-diffusion and re-expansion of life's possibilities. As he often says, the meaning of longevity is not to add years to life, but to add life to years. In other words, there will be new life, prospects, and future in the journey of life.
Chen Chien-Jen shared that he recently attended the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL) conference in Istanbul, Turkey. Every morning, he attended mass at the local Roman Catholic church. The late Pope Saint John XXIII was once the representative of that diocese, and when he was elected Pope, he was 77 years old. The outside world considered him a "transitional Pope." Unexpectedly, after taking office, he promoted reforms, causing great changes, which shows that age is not a limit to reform and innovation, but rather the accumulation of wisdom.
Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Lu Chien-te mentioned that as Taiwan enters a super-aged society, the government has proposed policies in two aspects: long-term care and care for isolated elderly. This includes a long-term care budget of over NT$115.3 billion this year, an increase in long-term care facilities to 15,624, and care facilities reaching 5,242, hoping to achieve the goal of one long-term care facility per village/community in Taiwan by 2030.
Lu Chien-te added that according to statistics, the elderly population in Taiwan has reached 4.67 million, accounting for 20.7% of the total population, of which about 1.1 million are isolated elderly. He hopes to find solutions to the super-aged society through care services and smart assistive devices.
Huang Szu-han, General Manager of DBS Bank (Taiwan), stated that with declining birth rates, extended lifespans, and changing family structures, the Taiwanese public generally faces anxiety and uncertainty due to insufficient financial preparation. According to a survey, as high as 75% of people aged 50 and above feel that their "finances are barely making ends meet." Therefore, financial institutions should play a more active role in helping the public reduce financial anxiety and establish a long-term and resilient financial foundation.
The DBS Foundation stated that last year, it promoted various elderly-focused projects in response to the needs of the longevity society, such as addressing the increasingly prominent challenge of "insufficient financial security" in the aging society. In cooperation with the Money Trainer Financial Business Research Center, it launched Taiwan's first artificial intelligence (AI) financial health check platform to help the public review their financial status and start financial planning early to enhance social financial resilience. (Editor: Yang Lan-hsuan) 1150427
Choose to stand with facts; your every sponsorship is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-Hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.