Hard conversations: quality of death in China

艰难的对话:中国死亡的质量

Drum Tower

2025-07-22

37 分钟
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单集简介 ...

Death is tough to talk about anywhere. In China, it's often taboo. That's a problem because ten years from now, a third of the population is projected to be over the age of 60. As rates of Alzheimer's and cancer soar, the country needs to double down on its efforts to ensure the final days of the terminally ill are as comfortable and stress-free as possible. But is China ready to have those difficult conversations? Sarah Wu, The Economist's China correspondent and James Miles, our China writer-at-large, visit hospices in Beijing and ask: how is a rapidly-ageing China dealing with end-of-life care? Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. 
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单集文稿 ...

  • The Economist.

  • The quality of life in China has soared in recent decades, but the quality of death remains grim.

  • It isn't just policymakers and doctors grappling with providing care around death.

  • Cultural norms also make it difficult for families and patients to decide how to die.

  • I'm Sarah Wu, The Economist's China correspondent,

  • and I'm joined by James Miles, our China writer at large.

  • This week, we're taking you inside hospices in Beijing,

  • and we're asking, how is a rapidly aging China dealing with end of life?

  • This is Drum Tower from The Economist.

  • Hi, James.

  • I heard that you had been planting something lately.

  • Hi, Sarah.

  • Yes, I have been planting and there's a little bit of a backstory here.

  • I came back from China to live in Britain about 10 years ago,

  • having spent many, many years in China.

  • One thing apart from continuing to think about China from London that's taken up quite a lot of my time has been looking after a garden.

  • And one thing I've done to add a bit of colour in the spring is plant some cherry trees,

  • three of them last year, one more this year.

  • But this very hot weather we've been having in London,

  • making sure they survive, it's becoming a bit of concern,