China’s military authorities on Wednesday pledged to address problems faced by some military veterans, following Tuesday's protests by around 1,000 personnel who had been sacked as part of Beijing’s military modernisation drive.
The state-run Global Times reported on its website that China’s Ministry of Defence has confirmed to the daily that “in recent years some veterans have been facing personal and employment problems and that they have appealed with letters and calls”. The statement added that the Communist Party of China (CPC), the State Council and the Central Military Commission care about veterans and pay high attention to solving their problems.
It added that “temporary living difficulties of some veterans will gradually be solved”. The government has already drafted preferential policies and measures for the ex-soldiers, and the process of shoring up the social security measures, in tune with “deepening reform” is currently under way. The protest was apparently staged in response to the government’s decision to downsize the military and make it more technology-intensive.
The Global Times quoted Liu Feiyue, editor of the website Minsheng Guancha, which monitors civil rights issues that protesters “don’t have a job after serving a long period of time in the army, some for a dozen years”. In 2015, President Xi Jinping announced a reduction by around 300,000 troops, comprising about 13 per cent of the 2.3 million-strong military force.
