China.org.cn | November 2, 2024
Jinan Times App:
This year, the general offices of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council jointly released a set of guidelines on improving the country's voluntary service system, which emphasized the vigorous development of veteran volunteers. Could you please elaborate on the measures being taken to improve the volunteer service capabilities of veterans? What measures are in place to ensure their concerns are addressed? Thank you.
Pei Jinjia:
I would like to invite Mr. Gao to answer this question.
Gao Haibin:
Thank you for your question. Volunteer service is a crucial marker of social progress and civilization. Over the years, we have proactively developed the team of veteran volunteers, encouraging them to promote social progress through tangible actions. Our veterans are politically aware, disciplined and of high caliber. While excelling in their primary duties, they actively give back to society and engage in volunteer services. Millions of veteran volunteers are active in various fields such as revolutionary history education, grassroots governance, emergency rescue and environmental protection. Facing natural disasters such as earthquakes, mudslides and heavy rainfall, they bravely assume responsibilities without fear of difficulties. Recently, when the powerful Typhoon Yagi struck, veteran volunteers in Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan remained on the front lines, safeguarding the lives and property of the people and helping to rebuild their homes, further enhancing the "Chinese Veteran Volunteer Services" brand.
Going forward, we will adhere to the directives of the Party Central Committee and focus on the following key areas:
First, we will concentrate on mobilization, leveraging the centers and stations for veterans at all levels to build robust volunteer service teams. We will lead the way to incorporate more veterans into these efforts, continuously expanding the volunteer service force. Second, we will focus on capacity building, conducting regular knowledge training and practical exercises in different levels and categories, organizing exchanges and discussions, showcasing projects, and strengthening the cultivation of professional backbone teams to acquire knowledge and skills, thereby enhancing levels of service. Third, we will focus on spiritual cultivation, guiding veterans to integrate the values of "the people's army" who are willing to sacrifice and contribute with the spirit of volunteerism, shaping and passing on the spirit of Chinese veteran volunteer services that embodies the military spirit, social contribution, courage, solidarity and honor. Fourth, we will focus on support and security, exploring the establishment of a management and security mechanism for veteran volunteer services, guiding social funds to participate and offer support, encouraging multiple channels to provide necessary insurance, subsidies, equipment and other material guarantees for volunteers. We will gradually establish an incentive mechanism primarily based on spiritual rewards, selecting typical models of Lei Feng-style volunteer services, and making volunteer services an important reference for related commendations and awards, continuously enhancing the sense of honor and pride among volunteers.
Veterans protect the country in uniform and contribute to their hometowns after leaving the military. Here, we earnestly request the support of all sectors of society to join us in promoting the vigorous development of veteran volunteer services, allowing the public to truly feel the presence of the remarkable veterans around them. Thank you.
The Poster News:
The preferential treatment card is a symbol of honor for veterans. Could you please elaborate on the current benefits that can be enjoyed with the card? What future considerations are there for enhancing the honor and sense of achievement for veterans through preferential treatment? Thank you.
Pei Jinjia:
I would like to invite Mr. Wang to answer this question.
Wang Zhongcheng:
Thank you for your question. The preferential treatment card is a symbol of honor for veterans and other recipients of preferential care, serving as a certificate for enjoying benefits, and it has garnered significant attention. Departments at all levels have attached great importance to the work of the preferential treatment card, focusing on enhancing efficiency and convenience, and have done a lot of work in this regard. Many enthusiastic enterprises and social organizations that support and care for veterans have actively responded to government calls, doing their best to provide benefits to cardholders.
Currently, the nationwide unified benefits cover a variety of aspects such as finance, telecommunications, express delivery, fuel, and air travel, and will continue to be expanded and standardized in the future. Local governments, based on their actual conditions, are actively enriching the scope of benefits and usage scenarios, widely mobilizing social forces to participate, and gradually extending benefits to areas such as culture and tourism, accommodation, shopping and health care. Various units, enterprises and social organizations that are enthusiastic about supporting and caring for veterans now exceed 100,000, and the atmosphere of respect and esteem is increasing. Of course, due to the uneven economic and social development across regions, there are differences in the scope and intensity of benefits. We hope people can understand these disparities.
Going forward, we will earnestly study and implement the guiding principles of the third plenary session of the 20th CPC National Congress and perform our duties. We will place equal emphasis on mental and physical benefits, actively address the concerns of those involved, further improve preferential treatment policies and institutional systems, and effectively safeguard legitimate rights and interests. Based on local conditions, we will make every effort according to our abilities, gradually enrich preferential treatments and application scenarios to make preferential treatment cards more useful, in order to increase veterans' senses of honor and gain. We will adhere to a holistic view and problem-oriented approach, and accelerate a supervision, governance and effective operation mechanism on preferential treatment work, ensuring high-quality and steady advancement of relevant work. Key tasks to be completed by the year's end include signing cooperation agreements on preferential treatment for military personnel with over 110 enterprises to expand the range of national unified preferential treatment programs; and introducing electronic preferential treatment cards to promote digital and information technology development. We believe that through the concerted efforts of all levels of government, departments, veterans and others, the preferential treatment work will be improved, and preferential treatment cards will meet more practical needs. Thank you.
CCTV:
Veteran resettlement is a key matter of concern for all military personnel when retiring. Could you elaborate on the measures taken in aligning military and civilian reforms, and streamlining the transfer and resettlement of veterans? And what further measures will the MVA take in the future? Thank you.
Pei Jinjia:
I would like to invite Mr. Ma to answer this question.
Ma Feixiong:
Thank you for your question. This issue is of the utmost concern to both serving and former military personnel and their families. It is also a crucial task of the veteran affairs system that requires substantial efforts.
The transfer and resettlement of veterans is a crucial link between the military and local governments, and relates to overall reform, development and stability, the construction of a national defense army, and veterans' rights and interests. It is incumbent on local governments and relevant departments at all levels to receive and settle veterans, serve and provide security for them, conduct education and training for them, unleash their potential, and safeguard their rights and interests. Since the 20th CPC National Congress, we have implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on veteran affairs, focused on new trends of aligning policies in military-civilian reforms, promoted the introduction of regulations on veterans' settlement, and formulated a series of documents on settlement policies, so as to standardize the work. In response to the increased frequency of military retirements and changes in the scale and structure of veteran populations, we have established mechanisms for phased transfer and categorized resettlement. To better facilitate the transition from military talent into civilian talent, we have continuously improved the open, fair and transparent settlement approach, and innovated direct settlement to match veterans with suitable jobs. To respond to veterans' hopes for a better life, we have worked to tap into settlement potential, expand settlement channels, improve their treatment and security, and boost service measures, striving to increase veterans' sense of gain.
Going forward, we will resolutely implement the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee, focus on needs for deepening reforms and pursuing development, meet veterans' expectations, improve mechanisms and systems, and take concrete measures. We will concentrate on three aspects.
First, we will continue to optimize settlement policies. With the implementation of the regulations for the settlement of veterans as the driving force, we will further specify measures such as standardizing transfer procedures, optimizing settlement destinations, improving employment quality, and enhancing settlement guarantees. We will enhance legal framework for settlement so that veterans enjoy more policy benefits more quickly and comprehensively.
Second, we will continue to improve the incentive mechanism. We will vitalize veterans and resettlement resources, put more emphasis on personnel working in remote and challenging areas and on special posts, as well as role models and those who make contributions. We will improve various methods such as exams and evaluations, point-based job selection, two-way selection, and express resettlement channels. Through these measures and mechanisms, we will strive to enhance their overall capabilities and ensure that our most beloved people also become our most useful people. Veterans are always eager to make contributions, and we should have confidence in them.
Third, we will continue to improve the efficiency and quality of services. We will enhance services through the entire transition process, from military retirement to civilian employment. We will improve policy communication and training, and help veterans navigate identity and career transitions. We will improve settlement work processes, and optimize one-stop services, utilize information technology, and save veterans' time and unnecessary trips. At the same time, we will improve the follow-up system for settlement to ensure that benefits are fully delivered and veterans are more satisfied. Thank you.