Yet there were about 163,800 senior care institutions and other facilities offering only 7.46 million beds by the end of January 2019, according to an article published on the website of the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Furthermore, according to the State Information Center, which is affiliated to the National Development and Reform Commission, about 20 percent of the Chinese population will be older than 65 in 2030, and the proportion will rise to one-third in 2050, with about 10 million suffering from Alzheimer's disease, an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that leads to memory loss and decline of thinking skills.

If 3 percent of Chinese seniors live in senior care institutes in 2025, the total number of beds should surpass 9 million by then, a recent report by Shenzhen-based Qianzhan Industry Research Institute estimated.

Benoit Colinot, senior trade adviser of Business France, said leading French elderly care companies could meet the needs of elderly Chinese through innovation and integrated solutions combining healthcare, quality of life and therapeutic architecture.

"China has the world's largest senior population, generating an unprecedented demand for elderly care," he said, adding China will need about 10 million additional nursing home beds while training an elderly care workforce of 10 million in the next 10 years.