'Graceful Ageing - Pioneering the Future' Conference on Quality Certification Driving High-Quality Development of Wellness Industry Successfully Held in Shanghai

On 5 June, during the International Exhibition of Senior Care, Rehabilitation Medicine and Healthcare Shanghai 2026, the conference themed "Graceful Ageing - Pioneering the Future: Quality Certification Driving High-Quality Development of Wellness Industry", co-hosted by the China Quality Certification Centre (CQC) and the British Consulate-General Shanghai, was held at the Caohejing Conference Centre in Shanghai. The conference focused on the establishment of standards systems for the wellness and healthcare industry, the empowering role of quality certification, and innovative development of the silver economy.

A photo taken at the event

Wang Huanxi, Assistant General Manager of CQC; Gary Hunt, His Majesty's Consul for Healthcare and Life Sciences at the British Consulate-General Shanghai; Liu Yihai, Vice President and Secretary-General of the Shanghai Association of Senior Service and Silver Industry; Yuan Xiangshan, Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese Sleep Research Society; and Gui Shixun, Vice President of the Association of Long-Term Care in Chinese Communities and tenured professor at East China Normal University, delivered speeches. Guests from governmental, industrial, academic and research institutions in China and the UK shared insights on new directions for the sector.

Wang Huanxi, Assistant General Manager of CQC 

In his speech, Wang Huanxi noted that while China's silver economy holds strong potential, the wellness and healthcare industry still faces challenges such as a lack of standards and inconsistent product quality. CQC is committed to its core mission of developing standards and implementing certification in specialised areas of wellness and healthcare. He expressed hope that this international platform would facilitate practical cooperation with Chinese and overseas partners to improve the evaluation system for elderly care products and services, addressing industry challenges through the dual drivers of standards and certification, and empowering high-quality senior care service through quality assurance.

Gary Hunt, Consul for Healthcare and Life Sciences, British Consulate-General Shanghai

Gary Hunt stated that healthy ageing is a priority for the UK and acknowledged China's deep expertise in ageing research, life sciences, and assistive technologies for older people. He affirmed the UK's commitment to deepening collaboration with China on standards development and technical exchange, and to jointly exploring new opportunities for cooperation in the silver economy.

Liu Yihai, Vice President and Secretary-General of the Shanghai Association of Senior Service and Silver Industry  

Liu Yihai pointed out that while Shanghai has long been a pioneer in community-based and smart senior care pilots, a lack of industry standards and product quality remains a major weakness. The Association will continue to serve as a bridge, strengthening coordination among stakeholders and using quality certification as a key tool to regulate the market and protect the rights and interests of senior consumers, thereby helping to implement and promote Shanghai's senior care standards across the country.

Yuan Xiangshan, Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese Sleep Research Society

Yuan Xiangshan noted that sleep quality is a key indicator of healthy ageing. While the sleep health industry for older people is booming, the sector also faces a proliferation of irregularities. He called for the establishment of a standardized framework through authoritative certification bodies, to facilitate the translation of research findings into industrial applications, to improve the market environment for sleep health through rigorous certification, and to safeguard the sleep health of the elderly.

Gui Shixun, Vice President of the Association of Long-Term Care in Chinese Communities and tenured professor at East China Normal University  

Gui Shixun noted that low-quality healthcare products on the market can easily mislead older consumers, and there is an urgent need to improve market access standards and on-the-ground supervision. He called for government and business representatives to visit communities and care homes to assess the effectiveness of product deployment and to refine standards systems based on the real needs of older people.

Keynote speakers

The conference invited experts and representatives from CQC Shanghai Branch, the British Standards Institution (BSI), the National Interdisciplinary Institute on Aging of Southwest Jiaotong University, Beijing Jinghe Institute of Culture and Tourism, China Architecture Design and Research Group, the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong, as well as experts and representatives from Chinese and British senior service and wellness companies to share insights on the theme, providing cutting-edge perspectives and practical pathways for the sector.

Signing ceremony  

Witnessed by attendees, CQC Shanghai Branch and British Standard Certification Technology Training (Beijing) Co., Ltd. signed a memorandum of cooperation, opening a new chapter of in-depth collaboration between China and the UK in the elderly care sector.

Certification presentation ceremony for wellness product and service evaluation

Certification presentation ceremony for wellness product and service evaluation

A certification presentation ceremony for wellness product and service evaluation was held. Wang Huanxi, along with the heads of CQC Shanghai Branch and CQC Marketing Department, presented certificates to certified companies. In addition, several authoritative testing and certification bodies jointly launched a partnership initiative for the testing and certification of elderly care products and services, pooling industry efforts to build a quality assurance system.

The conference established an international and professional platform for exchange in the wellness care industry, effectively advancing the joint development of standards, resource sharing, and win-win cooperation. CQC will continue to leverage its technical expertise, deepen practical cooperation with the UK in elderly care, and refine the standards system, strengthen certification support, and promote the translation of results into practice. By driving industrial upgrading through standards and certification, CQC aims to inject stronger momentum into the high-quality development of China's silver economy.

(By China Quality Certification Centre)