Improving China’s institutional capacity towards universal social protection (Phase III)

Background

The collaboration between the European Union (EU), China and the International Labour Organization (ILO) on social security has a long-standing history, providing an important platform for policy dialogue and technical exchanges. Most recently, the EU-funded Project “Improving China’s institutional capacity towards universal social protection” implemented through Phase 1 (July 2019 to December 2022) and Phase 2 (February 2023 to January 2026) brought together the expertise and experience of the EU and its Member States with ILO standards, tools and technical expertise. These two phases have supported China’s efforts to build a universal, adequate and sustainable social security system. With continuous financial support from the EU, the Project now enters its third phase.

China’s 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development (2026-2030) sets the objective of building a more optimized, inclusive and sustainable social security system. Priority areas include improving benefit adequacy, extending coverage to workers in flexible and new forms of employment, and enhancing digital service delivery to promote equitable access for all, among others.

The Project Phase III will support China in advancing these priorities through high-level policy dialogue, technical studies and discussions, capacity-building activities, and knowledge and experience sharing, particularly through the engagement of EU expertise.

Objectives

Overall objective

To enhance China’s social protection system to make it more optimized and sustainable by extending coverage and improving adequacy of benefits towards a more balanced and inclusive economic growth, with reference to relevant international labour standards.

Specific objectives

• Support the ongoing reform on building a universal social protection system in China that provides timely and adequate benefits, through both contributory and non-contributory schemes, across the life cycle, with reference to relevant international labour standards;
• Support the social protection policy reform process in China by strengthening the evidence base, promoting policy dialogue and facilitating technical exchange. Leverage EU and ILO expertise to inform and engage Chinese policy makers, and foster information and good practice sharing among China, EU and ILO to address common challenges such as climate change, demographic shifts and technological advances.

Key activities

• Sharing of International good practices in the field of social protection, with a particular focus on the EU experiences;
• Technical reports and notes to provide solid evidence necessary to target the actions of the programme to support social protection policy formulation or reform in China;
• Organization of conferences, technical training, workshops, mutual technical field visits and other exchange activities on social protection;
• Specialised technical assistance, guided by international labour standards, to relevant stakeholders in China related to policy formulation or reform on the field of social protection;
• Support the dissemination of relevant good practices on social protection in China in global and regional specialised forums, contributing to an active engagement of China on the global debate about the global challenge of expanding adequate social protection;
• Structured programmes in specific areas of social protection, such through the promotion of expert engagement between training institutions in China and European training institutions and experts in the area of social protection;
• Promotion of ratification of relevant international labour standards (ILS) by China, such as ILO’s Convention No.102 (Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952), in the context of the Global Ratification Campaign.

The Project will support policy reforms on social protection in China throughout its duration, focusing in particular but not exclusively on:

1. promoting a sustainable and adequate old-age pension system and long-term care, to face the challenge of an ageing society in China;
2. extending social protection coverage for workers in new forms of employment in particular platform workers, aiming at enhancing the level of protection for this growing share of the labour force in China; and
3. promoting a just transition to a greener economy using social protection as a mechanism to protect the livelihoods of affected and vulnerable communities by cushioning the negative impacts resulting from the phasing-out of polluting activities, such as coal or steel production, as well as impacts from extreme climatic events, while maximising socio-economic and employment opportunities.

The Project contributes to: Sustainability Development Goal (SDG) 1.3 (implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable), and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). It will also contribute to SDG 10.1 (income growth to those on the bottom 40%), SDG 3 on Good Health and Well-being (including SDG 3.8 on universal health coverage), SDG 5 on Gender Equality, as well as SDG 17 (Partnerships).

Project partners

The Project will be implemented in collaboration with Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS), the leading counterpart, All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), China Enterprise Confederation (CEC) and National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA). It will also collaborate with Chinese and international academics in carrying out specific studies. The European Commission's Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL) and EU Delegation to China will provide strategic oversight of the project implementation, as members of the Project Steering Committee (PSC).

Call for expression of interest

Call for Expression of Interest: Brief on “Good practices in Social Security in China: Establishing and strengthening long-term care insurance” (Please check the "Call for expression of interest" part under the link. Submission deadline: 18 September 2026 at 23:59, China standard time)

External links

ILO Social Protection Website

Official Website of European Commission's Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL)