1st LD-Writethru-China Focus: China makes strides in veterans, martyrs affairs

BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhua) -- China has broken new ground in work related to veterans and martyrs affairs during the 14th Five-Year Plan period from 2021 to 2025, Minister of Veterans Affairs Pei Jinjia said at a news conference on Thursday.

In 2022, China issued the first national-level special plan in the field of veterans' affairs to bolster services and support for retired servicemen. Efforts in employment assistance, training, and rights protection have achieved the expected outcomes since the introduction of the plan, Pei said.

IMPROVING JOB SUPPORT

During the five-year period, China has rolled out a series of regulations and policies to support the employment of retired military personnel and broaden their career opportunities.

Veterans are playing an increasingly important role in the country's economic and social development, said Vice Minister of Veterans Affairs Xu Yao at the press conference.

China has provided job placements to over 250,000 demobilized officers and veterans since 2021, Xu said, adding that more efforts will be made to expand job opportunities and streamline placement procedures for veterans.

According to Sheng Baochen, an official from the ministry's employment and entrepreneurship department, more than 50,000 job fairs have been held, helping over 1.4 million veterans secure employment opportunities.

The ministry has guided localities to establish 1,988 business incubation bases to support veterans in business startups nationwide over the past five years, Sheng said.

Approximately 370,000 veterans now serve as officials of villages and communities, more than 14,800 have become teachers in primary and secondary schools, and over 18,000 have joined China's national comprehensive fire and rescue teams, he added.

ENHANCING VETERAN SERVICES

Pei also highlighted the ministry's strong focus on improving the construction of service centers in the past five years.

Efforts have been made to ensure nationwide coverage of veteran services through a six-tiered network of service centers and stations, extending from the national level to villages and communities, with a total of 610,000 units established so far, Pei said.

In addition, service delivery has been streamlined through the development of mobile apps tailored for veterans, and this digital approach has enhanced service efficiency and improved overall service quality, Pei added.

Veteran affairs coordinators have been recognized by the government as a new occupation, he said, referring to personnel working at veterans service centers and stations handling tasks such as policy consultation, employment and entrepreneurship support, and rights protection for veterans.

"The continuous improvement of veteran service centers and stations and their work standards has brought closer ties between veterans and the Party and government," Pei said.

HONORING FALLEN HEROES

From 2021 to 2025, China took back home the remains of 265 soldiers of the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) who died in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-1953) and honored them with solemn burial ceremonies.

According to Pei, DNA samples from the returned remains of 981 CPV soldiers and DNA samples of over 1,300 family members of martyrs have been collected, forming a refined, dynamic database.

Additionally, China has set up a center for searching and identifying fallen soldiers' remains, along with a national DNA laboratory for the identification of the remains of martyrs.

Pei also highlighted that the country has identified burial sites or found relatives for 7,000 fallen soldiers.

This achievement was made possible through a public service platform launched by the ministry, which encourages and guides public participation in such search efforts, he noted.

The ministry is committed to strengthening the preservation and utilization of martyr memorials, said Chen Erwei, an official with the ministry, at the press conference.

Furthermore, China plans to unveil new national-level memorials, historical sites, and a list of prominent heroes from the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-1945), Chen said. Enditem