Historic move to streamline departments

Veterans’ rights will be better protected

The Ministry of Veterans Affairs to be established in accordance with the plan to deepen the reform of Party and State institutions is a historic step to implement the strategy to build a powerful military.

The new ministry will better protect the rights of retired military personnel by combining the functions of different ministries and organizations, and to better serve the veterans. The resettlement of retired military soldiers and officers was the responsibility of the Ministry of Civil Affairs and Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. The political work and logistics departments of the Central Military Commission also shared the responsibility of resettling the veterans.

The unified functions focusing on better serving the retired military personnel will not only strengthen the faith and sense of honor of the military, but also make up for the past deficit in serving the veterans in some areas.
This reform is a timely response to the concerns of retired military personnel, including acknowledgement of their contributions, further education, and memorial for heroes, which President Xi Jinping, also chairman of the Central Military Commission, has been reiterating over the past five years.

With the functions integrated, the ministry can better coordinate and systemize work for resettling veterans. For instance, the implementation of relative policies, to some extent, will push local governments to better fulfill their roles in resettling the veterans.

The Ministry of Veterans Affairs will improve not only the public services for the veterans but also attract more youngsters to a career in the military, paving the way for building a powerful military.

Li Daguang, a professor at the PLA National Defense University. This is an excerpt from his interview with China Daily’s Pan Yixuan.