China must pursue reform to keep economy vigorous: Expert
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Job seekers attend a job fair with more than 600 employers providing over 20,000 jobs in Nanjing in east China's Jiangsu province on Saturday, Nov 17, 2012. The demographic advantages that helped boost China's growth are dwindling sharply and the country must pursue reform to keep the vigour in its economy, said the former chief economist at the country's statistics bureau. -- PHOTO: AP
BEIJING - The demographic advantages that helped boost China's growth are dwindling sharply and the country must pursue reform to keep the vigour in its economy, said the former chief economist at the country's statistics bureau.
"The demographic dividend is dwindling sharply," Mr Yao Jingyuan said at a conference on Sunday. His remarks were reported by Bloomberg News.
Mr Yao, who retired from the National Bureau of Statistics last year, was referring to the economic benefits that arise from decades where an economy has a higher proportion of working-age citizens.
"We are left only with the reform dividend," he said.
