The Retirement System for Veteran Cadres (Lixiu) is one part of China’s dual-track retirement system. According to some official policies, retired veteran cadres should enjoy a number of privileges in terms of pension, health care, use of government vehicle, housing and peculiar political rights. Based on participant observation and semi-structured interview, the study looks into the life of the population in a residential community of Jinan Municipal Party Committee, Shandong Province. By incorporating Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, the study finds that in China, services for retired cadres still fall short of the expectations of policy. Establishment of ‘big communities’ with the idea of ageing-in-place is suggested.

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