Interview with Eduardo Klien, Asia-Pacific Regional Convening Lead, HelpAge International
Published
As countries across Asia-Pacific respond to population ageing, this year’s regional conference focuses on practical solutions — from care and economic change to technology and inclusive societies.
Eduardo Klien explains the priorities shaping the discussions and what participants can expect.
You have chosen four sub-themes for this year’s conference. Why do you believe that these are the most urgent policy issues emerging for the Asia–Pacific region?
There is now broad agreement that societies need to rethink and reframe ageing. The question is no longer whether countries must adapt to population ageing, but how.
The four themes focus on key dimensions of that adaptation: economic transformation, care and support systems, technology and innovation, and building inclusive societies for all ages. Of course, many other important issues exist, but the conference needed to prioritise areas where countries across the region are actively searching for practical solutions.
These themes were selected through discussions with regional experts and partners, reflecting both urgency and opportunity.
Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Population Ageing 2026 sub-themes
This year the conference focuses on ageing as a ‘whole-of-society transformation’. In practical terms, what does that mean?
It means population ageing is not only about pensions or health and care demands. It affects virtually every part of society.
It influences how cities are designed, how economies function, how people work and retire, how healthcare systems operate, how educational systems unfold, how technology is used and even how generations relate to one another.
Adapting to population ageing therefore requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society response. Otherwise, we risk trying to solve 21st-century demographic realities with 20th-century institutional thinking.
Secure your spot at the region’s leading policy forum on ageing. Limited places available till 5 July
How would you like to see the conversations in Hangzhou travelling beyond the conference itself – into policy, practice or regional cooperation?
The regional conferences are not isolated events. They are more like catalysts — or perhaps “boosters” — for ongoing processes of learning, cooperation and innovation across the region.
Participants come to exchange experiences honestly, including successes and failures. After all, humanity has never experienced population ageing at this scale before. Nobody has all the answers.
The conferences help strengthen networks, encourage experimentation and reinforce long-term thinking. Importantly, they keep attention focused not only on immediate pressures, but also on the medium- and long-term transformation of societies.
China is ageing at an extraordinary scale. What are the most important lessons participants in this year’s conference can learn from China?
China’s scale is extraordinary, but so is the speed and seriousness with which it is adapting.
One important lesson is the integrated approach now emerging across different sectors of government. Population ageing is increasingly understood not as a narrow “social issue”, but as something connected to all spheres of life and development. The current Five-Year Plan, for example, places significant emphasis on the silver economy.
Another striking aspect is the rapid use of technology, including AI and digital innovation, to support adaptation and improve the lives of older people. Sometimes developments move so quickly that by the time you understand one pilot project, three new ones have already appeared somewhere else in China.
Eduardo Klien explains the thinking behind this year’s themes and why they matter now.
Following the powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Mindanao in the Philippines on 8 June, HelpAge is working closely with COSE as they assess the impact on affected communities and identify priority needs.
Rhea Tariq, HelpAge's Director of Global Impact, reflects on the Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Population Ageing
Eduardo Klien reflects on how Asia-Pacific regional conferences have helped reshape how we think about population ageing.
The Conference is held every two years and is widely recognised as the region’s leading policy forum on ageing.
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