Beijing to boost financial support for military personnel and veterans

Central government will take main responsibility for funding under revised regulations – costs previously shared with local governments

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The revised regulations call for society to “create a strong atmosphere of patriotism, support for the military and respect for military personnel”. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 8:00pm, 14 Aug 2024

Beijing will provide more funding to provincial and local governments to support military personnel and veterans under revised regulations.

Amendments to the regulations on military subsidies and benefits were announced on Tuesday by the Central Military Commission and the State Council, China’s cabinet. They will take effect from October 1.

One new provision states that the central government will take primary responsibility for providing financial support to military personnel and veterans, while “appropriately increasing the financial input at the provincial level and reducing the financial pressure at the local level”.

That financial support includes medical and other benefits for military personnel and their families, compensation for death or disability caused by military service, and housing, education and transport benefits for veterans.

Previously, these costs were shared by central and local governments.

Korean war veterans attend a memorial ceremony in 2016. There are 57 million military veterans in China. Photo: AFP

The changes to the Regulations on Pensions and Preferential Treatment for Servicemen – which were introduced in 2004 – are expected to ease the financial pressure on local governments that are mired in debt.