BEIJING — China will from Nov 20 allow citizens over 70 to apply for driving licenses if their health meets the requirements for safe driving.

People over 70 are now permitted to apply for driving licenses for small vehicles and mopeds, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

Applicants are required to pass memory, judgment and reaction assessments, and must have annual health checkups and submit the results, said the ministry.

Considering the increasing life expectancy and improving health conditions of Chinese citizens, more aged people need to drive, said the ministry, adding the move aims to meet the new demands of the nation's aging population.

The maximum age for large and medium-sized passenger or freight vehicle driving license applicants has also been raised from 50 to 60, according to the ministry.

By the end of 2019, China had 250 million people aged 60 or above, about one-sixth of the country's total population.