Before the end of the present century the population of China currently around 1.4 billion -- is forecast to drop to around half that level as a major and unprecedented demographic crisis begins to bite. Its working-age population has already stopped growing and is now well into a process of contraction. Increasing longevity means that by the 2050s there will be more than 400 million Chinese citizens over the age of 65 -- with little provision for their care in a society where a single chi...