One of the major questions about China is whether it is going to grow old before it finishes growing rich (or before it can swallow up Taiwan). The Financial Post reports today that that in the aftermath of the Wuhan Flu (since we can now go back to calling it that), China’s workforce has shrunk by 41 million over the last three years, which is equivalent to the entire workforce of Germany.

How is China going to respond? As Communists usually do:

The country’s ruling Communist Party has listed retirement age reform among its key economic tasks for the year. More detail on reform plans may be provided this month, when the annual government work report is presented at the National People’s Congress — an annual meeting of China’s rubber-stamp parliament.

The strength of public opposition to any changes was highlighted last month, when a research report from Citic Securities forecasting a rise in the retirement age for women starting in 2025 sparked widespread criticism online.

Makes you wonder, though, if starting a war over Taiwan looks look like an attractive proposition.