TOMSK, September 5 (RIA Novosti) - The Siberian city of Tomsk, where one in six people are students, should serve as an example on demographic development for Asian cities with aging populations, Tokyo Governor Yoichi Masuzoe said Friday.
“Tokyo is a mature city. Hopefully, the knowledge we have brought will be useful to Tomsk. We also wish to learn from your experiences,” Masuzoe said during a plenary meeting at the Asian Network of Major Cities 21 summit currently taking place in Tomsk.
“Tokyo and Seoul are cities where the population is aging. Fertility rate is low; the average number of children each woman gives birth to is one. To reach the required level of population, every woman needs to have two children. How should we handle this problem? It is an important issue … Tomsk is rapidly developing and growing. I envy you, a huge part of your population is young,” he said.
The Asian Network of Major Cities 21 (ANMC21) summit began Thursday. Six delegations from Asian cities including Bangkok, Seoul and Hanoi, are in Russia to discuss how to improve the lives of their citizens through social initiatives.
