Xi calls for improving services, support for veterans

President Xi Jinping has called for continuous improvement in the services and support given to military veterans.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said that authorities in charge of veterans affairs must follow the guideline of serving the needs of economic and social development, national defense and military construction.

They also should further deepen comprehensive reforms and continue to optimize management, work flows, policies and institutional systems of veterans affairs, he said.

He also urged authorities to make sure that veterans can find appropriate jobs, enjoy good services, make the best use of their expertise, and have their rights and interests well protected, thus giving military members and veterans more respect and honor.

Xi made the instructions in a letter sent to a veterans affairs conference in Beijing on Monday.

He called veterans "treasures of the Party and the nation and an important force of pushing forward Chinese modernization", noting that veterans affairs are closely connected to the country's reforms, development and stability as well as the efforts to build a world-class military.

He also encouraged veterans to keep their "revolutionary soldier's spirit", maintain good faith, uphold patriotism and sense of dedication, and work with high morale to make greater contributions to the motherland.

China has taken a host of measures over the past several years to improve benefits for veterans and military members' families.

In March 2018, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs was established. The National Veterans Service Center was set up in February 2019 and, since then, veteran service centers or stations have been established at every administrative level, from community to provincial.

Guidelines listed in a document published by central departments in January 2020 cover almost all elements of veterans' daily life, ranging from medical care, housing and education to transportation and leisure activities.

The Law on Support for Veterans, which was passed in November 2020, took effect on Jan 1, 2021.

In January 2022, the Regulation on Veterans' Monthly Allowance was issued, allowing qualified veterans on the Chinese mainland to receive a living allowance on a monthly basis.

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, more than 58 million military personnel have reentered civilian life, according to official statistics.

zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn