Hu Dexi, a 67-year-old who spent 30 years selling buns in Xian, has found himself and his wife working long hours as cleaners in Beijing after moving to the capital. They wake at 4 a.m. daily to prepare lunch before commuting over an hour to their job at a shopping mall, each earning 4,000 yuan ($552) monthly. Despite their desire to slow down, they face financial pressures as rural migrants with limited pension support.  

Hu's situation reflects a broader issue affecting the estimated 100 million rural migrants in China who are nearing retirement age over the next decade. Many, like Hu, feel compelled to seek work in urban areas due to inadequate pension provisions in their villages. China's social security system, geared towards urban residents, leaves rural retirees with minimal support, often below the poverty line.

With China's rapidly aging population, the strain on social services is growing, exacerbating the challenges faced by elderly rural migrants who lack professional skills for higher-paying jobs in urban sectors. China's economic priorities, focused on industrial modernization and innovation, have prioritized growth over social safety nets, perpetuating inequalities.

The Chinese government's response includes minor increases in rural pensions and efforts to shore up the pension system, which experts predict will face depletion by 2035. However, structural reforms such as raising the retirement age, crucial for sustainability, face hurdles due to concerns about equity and resistance from vested interests.

The implications are dire for many elderly rural migrants, who rely on low-paying jobs to make ends meet. Health disparities are also pronounced, with rural residents experiencing higher rates of illness and less access to healthcare compared to their urban counterparts.

As China confronts these challenges, the burden of elderly care is shifting away from traditional family support, given the one-child policy's legacy and rising youth unemployment. While younger generations resist manual labor, job opportunities for the elderly remain limited, driving many like Hu Dexi to continue working well into old age for financial security.