Former President Zhou Xiaochuan's recent speech expressed everyone's thoughts.
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I remember that he rarely showed up after retirement, but every time he spoke, it was like a clear stream, which was refreshing. Just last year, he reminded us that the issue of pensions has reached a point where there is no time to delay. And recently, he has once again spoken out for the situation of young people.
He mentioned that it is really not easy for young people nowadays, and the burden on their shoulders is so heavy that it makes people breathless. No matter how hard you work, the basic life goals of buying a house, starting a family, and raising a baby are like stars in the sky, which you can see but can't reach. Some people choose to "lie flat" because of this, not because they don't want to work hard, but because they feel that it is useless to work hard. What they see is that the social security they have earned in exchange for their sweat and labor is like filling a big hole of dissatisfaction in the end, which is used to supplement the pensions of their predecessors. This kind of system makes people feel that their efforts are completely disproportionate to their returns, and they even have to pay for guarantees that may not exist at all in the future.
Zhou Xiaochuan is actually complaining for young people. He pointed out that the reason why young people are reluctant to pay social security is not because they do not know how to be responsible or have no plans for the future, but because the social security system itself has design flaws. This problem is not just a gap in numbers, it reflects an unfairness between generations.
The older generation, who did not pay social security for various reasons, now rely on our generation's social security contributions to make ends meet. And the biggest concern of our generation is, when we get old, will there be enough young people to support the system? This uncertainty has caused many young people to lose confidence in the social security system.
Zhou Xiaochuan suggested that the incentive mechanism of "paying more and getting more for a long time" should be allowed to play a role, so that young people can feel that paying social security is worthwhile, transparent and promising. While such a reform faces many challenges, at least it shows us a possible path. It's like lighting a light in the dark, not enough to illuminate the night sky, but at least it allows us to see the road ahead. It's a beginning, but it's also a hope.