Rather than castigating young people for being feckless, individualistic and selfish, a more productive approach involves acknowledging they may well have different aspirations from previous generations.
Focusing on raising the birth rate is not the perfect answer to China’s ageing population problem. Holistic policies that support parents and improve education for children would be more effective.
The chief executive’s modest proposals in her policy address will not break the bank, but that is probably because they are far from adequate in meeting the challenges of a fast-ageing society.