| What is growing almost as fast as the Chinese economy? Its elderly population… And the headache caused by financing the [non-existing] social security of 150 million people only starts for the government: in 2050, China will count almost twive as many people age 50 than below age 20. |
| In the meantime, entrepreneurs are trying to capitalize on this opportunity by selling cell phones with huge number pads and Internet sites with big characters to a niche whose annual income is estimated at around USD 50 billion (and bound to be multiplied by 10 until 2050) – one of the pioneers is Jialantu, a company based in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, which has developed a mobile phone tailor-made for seniors. |
 |
| Then there are the online shops catering for the elderly (www.homeold.cn). Even the leading search engine (Baidu) is offering a special website for senior citizens, featuring larger font sizes and allowing users to navigate mainly by clicking rather than typing. |
