A "freelancer" mentioned here refers to a person who has registered their unemployment in Shanghai, holds the Labor Handbook issued by the municipal labor departments, was younger than 60 years, for men, or 55 years, for women before August 1998, has no employment relation with any organization but does have a legal income. As a participant in the social comprehensive basic urban insurance, such a person can apply for retirement upon meeting the following conditions:

(1) 60 years of age for men and 55 years of age for women;

(2) With a period of payment (including the continuous term of service before the end of 1992) of at least 15 years;

(3) With an actual term of payment, in conformity with the Shanghai urban insurance and medical insurance measures, of at least 5 years. This 5 year period means the sum of the term of payments which commenced in 1993 and during which the payment of the workplace organization was counted in the personal account and the period of the payment during which the employee worked as a freelancer.

Freelancers can make up the insurance as stipulated; however the term of payment achieved by the make-up of insurance will not be counted in the 5 years of actual payment.