More than 70 percent of China's young couples say they are not able to take good care of their parents even if they are willing to, a survey by China Youth Daily shows.

Researchers queried 1,612 people from all over the country. About 74 percent said they were willing to take good care of their parents but their finances wouldn't allow it.

Most of the respondents said they would like to live with or near their parents. But 25 percent said their parents live in another city and they can only visit them during holidays every year.

"We can not afford to buy a house for them in Beijing and it is uncomfortable to let them live with us," the newspaper quoted a woman surnamed Liu.

The pressure was greater on those couples who were both the only child. Among the respondents, 40 percent were the only kids in their families, due to the family planning policy started in the 1980s. These couples are facing the challenge of taking care of four aged parents without help from any siblings.

Liu, an only child, said she was most concerned about her parents' health. "I cannot quit thinking what would happen if they got ill," Liu said. "People from the last generation have siblings to help, we are all on our own."

(Shanghai Daily August 18, 2010)