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Speakers:

Ma Feixiong, vice minister of veterans affairs

Liang Jingge, director general of the Department of Ideology and Rights Protection, Ministry of Veterans Affairs (MVA)

Yu Jingsen, director general of the Department of Employment and Entrepreneurship,MVA

Cao Jun, director general of the Department of Support and Preferential Treatment, MVA

Li Jingxian, official of the Department of Commendation and Commemoration, MVA

Chairperson:

Chen Wenjun, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Date:

Aug. 26, 2022

Chen Wenjun:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. Today, we are holding the 25th press conference under the theme of “China in the past decade.” We have invited Mr. Ma Feixiong, vice minister of veterans affairs, to brief you on the measures and achievements of veterans affairs in the new era. Also joining us today are Mr. Liang Jingge, director general of the Department of Ideology and Rights Protection, Ministry of Veterans Affairs (MVA); Mr. Yu Jingsen, director general of the Department of Employment and Entrepreneurship, MVA; Mr. Cao Jun, director general of the Department of Support and Preferential Treatment, MVA; and Mr. Li Jingxian, an official from the Department of Commendation and Commemoration, MVA. They will take your questions.

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Ma Feixiong for his introduction.

Ma Feixiong:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the press, good morning. Welcome to this press conference. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to you for your interest in and support for the developments in veterans affairs.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress , the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to veterans affairs. General Secretary Xi Jinping, keeping in mind the overall cause of the Party and the country, has personally devised the establishment of a veterans administration and support institution, and made a series of important statements on veterans affairs, pointed out the direction and provided fundamental guidance for dealing with veterans affairs in the new era. The 19th CPC National Congress made the major decision to establish an administration and support institution for veterans. On April 16, 2018, the MVA was officially established. For more than four years, we have committed ourselves to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and thoroughly implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on veterans affairs. We have constantly tried to develop a deep understanding of the decisive significance of the establishment of both Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the CPC Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We have always been increasing our consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership. We have remained confident in the path, the theory, the system, and the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and consistently upheld Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the CPC Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and upheld the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. We have resolutely implemented the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and improved and firmly implemented policies and mechanisms to ensure that the military profession and veterans are respected by the whole of society. As a result, new developments have been secured in veterans affairs, and veterans' sense of gain, happiness and honor has been continuously enhanced.

First, the Party's leadership has been strengthened across the board. The central government has introduced opinions on improving the administration of veterans affairs in the new era and a plan featuring policies and systems for reforming veterans affairs, and issued the 14th Five-Year Plan for Services and Support for Veterans and the Opinions on Strengthening Commendation of Martyrs in the New Era , providing top-level design and institutional arrangements for veterans affairs in the new era. Party committees at and above the county level have all set up leading organs for veterans affairs, and the operating mechanisms have been improved, comprehensively enhancing the Party's leadership over veterans affairs. 

Second, various related systems have been established and improved. Administrative organizations for veterans affairs at and above the county level have been established across the country. There are now more than 600,000 veterans service centers and stations covering six levels from the state to the villages and communities. More than 4,000 relevant public institutions and over 700 social organizations have been transferred, taken charge of and set up. An organization and management system under the Party's leadership where administrative organs, service systems and private entities all make contributions has basically taken shape. We have established and improved the mechanism for the military and civilians to work together as one office while maintaining their separate identities, and promoted the inclusion of veterans affairs into the assessment of local Party and government officials. The working system of military and civilian coordination and cooperation has been gradually improved. China's first special law regarding veterans, The Veterans Law, came into force on Jan. 1, 2021, introducing hundreds of supporting policies covering such fields as ideology, resettlement and employment, preferential treatment and commendation, and service guarantee. A policy and institution system that both respects veterans and guarantees services and management for them has been basically formed.

Ma Feixiong:

Third, notable achievements have been secured in resettlement and employment of veterans. We have deepened the reform of the veterans resettlement system, innovatively organized direct and targeted resettlement of military officers transferred to civilian jobs, and improved the mechanism for fair and transparent resettlement, constantly improving the quality of resettlement. Over the past four-plus years, more than 1.85 million veterans have been resettled, and more than 80% of demobilized military officers have landed a job in Party and government organs and public institutions administered according to civil servants' standards. We have established a system for veterans to receive monthly demobilization payments, implemented the mechanism of immediate resettlement upon demobilization, and accelerated the resettlement of retired military personnel as well as military personnel with injuries, diseases and disabilities. In order to secure more adequate and high-quality employment for veterans, policy documents including the Opinions on Encouraging Outstanding Veterans to Teach in Primary and Secondary Schools have been issued, helping 2.26 million veterans find jobs and start their own businesses.

Fourth, services have been continuously guaranteed and improved. Subsidies and living allowances for entitled groups have been raised year after year. Unified supplementary payment of basic old-age insurance has been organized for some veterans, with 2.85 million veterans benefiting from the policy. Supplementary payment of medical insurance is now processed regularly. Basic information on veterans and other entitled groups nationwide has been collected and registration is completed on a regular basis. The application and issuance of preferential treatment cards for veterans and other entitled groups has been comprehensively launched. Universities for retired military officers have been established, and online platforms providing convenient services for them have been put into place. A new occupation of “veterans affairs officer” has been created to improve professional services. Campaigns have been launched and funds supporting veterans have been deployed to help veterans address their problems and difficulties.

Fifth, we have built an environment where the public values retired soldiers' contributions. We have held the National Conference on the Work of Veteran Affairs and ceremonies that honor cities, organizations, and individuals for their outstanding contributions to veteran affairs. General Secretary Xi Jinping met with representatives on those occasions twice, which greatly motivated the veterans and those working in veteran affairs. We extensively promoted the stories of model veterans like Zhang Fuqing, organized a series of activities to encourage veterans to follow the Party's leadership, and created the veteran-themed drama "Heart of a Soldier." Moreover, we organized a campaign for the public to learn from outstanding veterans and individuals who gave immense support to the military. We have consolidated the common consensus that retired soldiers and military personnel are respected, and their contributions are valued by establishing and improving the systematic routine. Our work includes holding farewell activities for recruits when they leave for the army, decorating a plate of glory in the family with military personnel, sending congratulatory letters to the family of a soldier who is rewarded in the army, and holding welcome activities for military personnel after service in their hometowns. We also include the names of the soldiers and their contributions to the local chronicles. Since 2014, China has brought back the remains of 825 Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) martyrs from the Republic of Korea (ROK) in over eight consecutive years. We have carried out activities to encourage government and public support for the military and preferential treatment for families of service personnel and martyrs in the border and coastal defense forces. We have made changes to the military-civilian dual list system to make administrative procedures easier and consolidate the unity of the military, the government, and the people. 

These achievements are attributed to the outstanding leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the whole Party with General Secretary Xi Jinping at its core and the science-based guidelines of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Looking forward, we will continue to follow Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, bear in mind the country's most fundamental interests, and stay true to our founding mission. We will focus on serving socio-economic development, national defense, and military building and write a new chapter for the high-quality development of work related to veteran affairs. We will strive to provide better services for retired military personnel and other entitled groups. This will pave the way for a successful 20th National Party Congress.

This is the end of my introduction. Next, my colleagues and I would like to answer your questions. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Mr. Ma. The floor is now open for questions. Please identify the news outlet you represent before raising your questions.

China Central Television:

What steps has the MVA taken to ensure ex-service personnel have a role in human resource management? Are there any future plans? Thank you.

Ma Feixiong:

Thanks for your question. This has long been one of our work priorities. Let me elaborate on this.

Retired military personnel, who have undergone strict training in the army, are mostly equipped with well-rounded qualifications. They are major human resources contributing to developing a modern socialist country. Over the past four years, the MVA has been conscientiously following the guidelines of General Secretary Xi Jinping and encouraging veterans to play their due roles through various measures. First, we have strengthened theoretical and political guidance. We have constantly carried out a series of campaigns to encourage veterans to follow the Party's leadership, organized education campaigns for veterans, selected and honored model veterans, organized campaigns to learn from outstanding veterans, issued privilege cards to entitled groups, held burial ceremonies for remains of CPV martyrs from the ROK, and encouraged ex-service personnel to pass on the revolutionary traditions and the exemplary conduct of the Chinese military and make new contributions in the new era. Second, centered on the requirements of the "six stabilities" and "six guarantees" by the CPC Central Committee, we encourage ex-service personnel to contribute their share to economic development. We have helped settle down 1.85 million ex-service members, helped 2.26 million veterans to find a job or start a business, encouraged 3.5 million ex-service members who became small business owners and played their role as market entities, and initiated over 10,000 startup and innovation projects for veterans. These efforts have helped stabilize the economy and energize the market. Third, revolving around the modernization of China's governance system and capacity, we have encouraged veterans to engage in rural revitalization efforts and to participate in the work of the village committee and Party committee in accordance with the laws and regulations. Over 270,000 ex-service personnel have become members of village and Party committees to serve the people better. We have also organized over 247,000 volunteer service teams consisting of veterans and recruited over 3.5 million veteran volunteers that work on the frontlines of Covid-19 response, as well as disaster rescue and relief. We also selected excellent ex-service members to work as primary and secondary school teachers, police officers or auxiliary officers, and community workers to serve the people and society.

For the next step, we will make good use of the veterans in the workforce, give them their role to play, and encourage them to become a determined force that follows the leadership of the Party, contributes to socio-economic development, and becomes a backup force for national defense and military building, as well as a major volunteer force for emergency rescue and relief, so as to better serve the modernization of the socialist country. Thank you!

China Review:

The service guarantee system now basically covers all retired military personnel. Are there any plans to improve this service guarantee system? How will "veteran service officers" play their role in guaranteeing the service of veterans?

Ma Feixiong:

Thanks for your question. The veterans' service guarantee system is one of the three priorities of our work. By asking this question, I can see that you have a good understanding of veteran affairs. The guarantee system is constantly improving. I would like to ask my colleague Liang Jingge, director general of the Department of Ideology and Rights Protection at the MVA, to answer your questions.

Liang Jingge:

With our continuous efforts over more than three years, almost all the ex-service members have been covered by the veteran service and support system. As such, we will adhere to the working philosophy of "delivering timely services and ensuring better guarantees" to push forward the veteran service and support system to a higher level. First, we will consolidate the foundation of veteran service institutions in five aspects, including the establishment of institutions, permanent staffing, regular staff members, sufficient funds, and guaranteed support. We will further implement the important guiding principle of General Secretary Xi Jinping by working in line with the requirements for the five aspects that serve all veterans and verify the construction and running status of veteran service centers and stations at all levels in a comprehensive way to keep advancing our work. Second, we will strengthen our team capacity building. We will take action to improve veteran service centers and station teams' capacity and quality, guiding and helping their staff members to strengthen their vocational study and improve their ability to perform their duties. Third, we will upgrade our service modes. To show our respect to veterans, we have pushed forward service modes such as agent service, one-stop service, internet plus service, and service without the need for a second trip. More than 600,000 veteran service institutions can now be reached on Amap and Baidu Map navigation apps, which offers veterans more convenient high-quality, and efficient services. Fourth, we will strengthen vocational construction. We will study and formulate the national vocational skill standards for personnel who manage veteran affairs, do a good job in compiling teaching materials, and develop question banks and other supporting work. On the basis of carrying out pilot schemes, we will gradually expand training to the whole system so as to build a professional team which has excellent vocational skills, is familiar with specialized knowledge and competent in practical tasks.

Veteran affairs officer is a new profession established for the first time in China and designed to provide services and guarantees for ex-servicemen. The setting of this profession is of great significance for improving the construction of a quality and efficient veteran service and support system and also promote the long-term and sound development of our cause. It will substantially raise the social awareness, recognition, and credibility of veteran affairs officers, support them to enhance their confidence and sense of professional belonging, and play a role in stabilizing and expanding our team. Meanwhile, going forward, we will establish a working mechanism of normalized training and scientific assessment procedures, open up the channel of career development for relevant personnel, and make our services and support work more professional and standardized. Thank you.

Xinhua News Agency:

Preferential treatment certificates are a symbol of honor for all veterans. Can you give an introduction to the current certification's application and issuance process? What preferential treatment can certificate holders enjoy? What plans will be made in the future to expand current preferential treatment programs? Thank you.

Ma Feixiong:

Thank you for your questions. Preferential treatment certificates are closely connected with all the ex-service members and other entitled groups, and, as you mentioned, the certificate is a symbol of honor for all veterans. I would like to invite Mr. Cao to answer your questions.

Cao Jun:

Thank you for your questions. Last December, the MVA officially started work on the application and issuance of preferential treatment certificates. This work has attracted much attention and is one of the key tasks of the MVA. Veteran affairs departments at all levels throughout the country have actively pushed ahead with relevant work in accordance with the deployment and requirements. At present, the work on the application and issuance of preferential treatment certificates is stable and orderly. As of 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 25, a total of 8.56 million preferential treatment certificates have been issued. By the end of the year, we will make efforts to issue certificates for all existing applicants.

The preferential treatment for certificate holders mainly refers to preferential social treatment, and can be summarized in three aspects. First, equal importance has been attached to preferential treatment in both the spiritual and material levels. The issuance of the certificate is an important measure to improve the honor system of the entitled groups and highlight the praise and encouragement for the holders. At the same time, we are also constantly improving the value of the certificate to let its holder access practical preferential treatment. For instance, holders can be guaranteed preferential access to services in some areas, such as, in particular, the courtesy broadcast in passenger cabins of China United Airlines, discounts in fueling cars at petrol stations under the China National Petroleum Corporation, and in delivering mail via SF Express, among others. Second, preferential treatment at the national and local levels have been coordinated. At the national level, 20 government organs, including the MVA, have issued opinions on strengthening the work on preferential treatment, clarifying almost 100 preferential treatment services in eight aspects that can be accessed by certificate holders. The preferential treatment at the national level is mainly reflected in spiritual praise and motivation. In accordance with the unified arrangement and deployment of the state, and in combination with the local economic and social development level, local departments have also issued a list of preferential treatment categories for certificate holders. Third, preferential treatment guaranteed by the government and provided by society have been coordinated. Joint efforts from both the government and the community are needed in offering abundant preferential treatment services for the entitled groups. So far, some enterprises in finance, communications, transportation, cultural tourism, express delivery, and some other fields have provided preferential treatment services for certificate holders. We hope that more social organizations and enterprises will join the practices to provide preferential treatment.

Going forward, we will expand and improve preferential treatment programs in four aspects. First, we will expand the scope of its application. We will continue to intensify our efforts to enrich the usage of the certificate. Second, we will coordinate extensive connectivity. Local departments and institutions are encouraged to open their preferential treatment services to certificate holders across the country so that preferential treatment programs across the country can be widely connected. Third, we will build platforms. We will build unified preferential treatment service platforms to both facilitate people from all walks of life to provide preferential treatment for certificate holders and help them get a better understanding and grant them access to various kinds of preferential treatment services. Fourth, we will digitalize the certificate. We will promote efforts to digitize the preferential treatment certificate and develop digital versions to help the holders enjoy preferential treatment conveniently. We believe that with strong support from the government and the active involvement of society, the certificate will become more and more useful and easier to use. Thank you.

Cover News:

What are the highlights and achievements in employment and entrepreneurship of veterans? And what are the next arrangements in promoting high-quality and stable employment for them? Thank you.

Ma Feixiong:

Thank you for your questions. As we know, employment is the cornerstone of people's well-being. The issue that you are concerned about is also a concern of veterans, and the focus of the MVA. As such, when the MVA was established, the Department of Employment and Entrepreneurship was specially set up. Now, I'd like to invite Mr. Yu Jingsen, director general of the Department of Employment and Entrepreneurship, to answer your questions.

Yu Jingsen:

First of all, I would like to thank all media reporters, especially all of you here, for your concern and care for the employment and entrepreneurship work of veterans. I will answer your questions from the following three aspects.

The first is to establish and improve a sound policy support system centering on serving key national development strategies. We have worked with other relevant departments and issued a series of policy documents to guide veterans to work for rural revitalization, in economic development zones and contribute to the development of private enterprises. So far, more than 400,000 veterans have returned to their hometowns and set up businesses, with some of them even becoming entrepreneurial “leaders” in getting rich.

The second is to directly provide high-quality job opportunities to maintain a stable economy and employment, and meet basic living needs. Firstly, we cooperated with enterprises. Veterans affairs departments at all levels signed contracts with 13,000 enterprises, provided more than 1 million jobs, and helped around 300,000 people find employment. Secondly, we cooperated with all sectors of society to guide veterans to find employment in suitable fields and key industries, in positions such as primary and secondary school teachers, police officers and auxiliary police officers. In addition, 3,000 to 4,000 of them are recruited in emergency management and fire and rescue services and more than 3,000 veterans are hired as shipping seamen each year. The scale of recruitment has also been increased, and more than 20,000 job fairs have been held in various regions, providing 12 million jobs and helping 2.26 million veterans get employment.

The third is to create a favorable environment to support job creation through business startups. We will guide veterans to make good use of existing policies, and support and promote the development of enterprises that are run by veterans and create more jobs. To date, more than 3 million self-employed individuals and enterprises have created more than 4 million jobs for veterans. The national-level Veterans Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition saw the participation of more than 50,000 veterans with 13,000 high-quality startup projects. In addition, every year in the People's Daily, we publish the Honor Roll of Employment Cooperation Enterprises and the Honor Roll of Entrepreneurship That Creates Jobs. With the joint efforts and support of society, an atmosphere in which agencies, enterprises and institutions at all levels across the country give priority to the employment of veterans under the same conditions has taken shape.

Next, we will further improve the empowerment level of education and training programs for veterans, and fill the policy gap to support veterans in entrepreneurship and innovation and step up effective measures for self-employed individuals and employment assistance. We will continue to strengthen cooperation between industries and enterprises and encourage recruitment activities. We will also give full support to the development of enterprises run by veterans and broaden employment channels.

That's all from me. Thank you.

Beijing Radio & Television Station:

Caring for and respecting veterans is the shared responsibility of the whole society, and easing their difficulties is also a key task. What kind of work has been carried out to care for veterans in difficulty? What are the relevant arrangements going forward? Thank you.

Ma Feixiong:

Thank you for your questions. I will have Mr. Liang Jingge take your question.

Liang Jingge:

When it comes to people's livelihoods, every little detail matters. Among all the veterans, there are a few who do have difficulty in work and life due to various reasons. Since the establishment of the MVA, we have acted with firm resolve to implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on caring for veterans, and established a support and assistance work system for veterans in difficulties that is led by the MVA with proactive cooperation from relevant functional departments and public participation.

The first is to develop a clear picture of the number of veterans in difficulty to implement targeted assistance and relief. Together with the Ministry of Civil Affairs, we drew back the veil on the number of veterans in difficulty across the country, and created the assistance service system to implement dynamic management and targeted assistance. At important points throughout the year, we will pay visits to veterans to see what they need. Over the past four years, a total of 6.5 billion yuan has been invested into our work, and more than 31 million veterans have been visited and helped.

The second is to strengthen top-level design and improve our policy and regulation system. We have released documents on assisting veterans, ensuring their basic livelihood and judicial assistance together with the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Finance, to leverage relevant departments' functional advantages and open up a "green lane" to address veterans' needs. So far, we have issued nearly 41 million yuan in judicial assistance funding for veterans, service members and their families.

The third is to create strong synergy and support to further step up social participation. We cooperated with relevant social organizations to launch public interest activities under the theme of "Warming Veterans with Care and Help," in which we have invested more than 30 million yuan and carried out activities to address veterans' urgent needs including their elderly health care and the issues of schooling and medical assistance for their children, which have produced positive social effects. We also guided 20 provinces to set up care funds (associations) for veterans, and a total of 9 billion yuan has been collected.

Next, we will continue to carry out the special action of "Warming Veterans and Addressing Their Urgent Needs" together with the China Charity Federation and other units, so as to benefit more veterans in difficulty. We will continue to improve the assistance service system, provide care through routine visits and guide social organizations to play an active role in order to effectively build a tightly woven system to meet veterans' basic needs. Thank you. 

Changjiang Daily:

Since the establishment of the MVA, what has been done to promote the education and training of veterans and boost the employment of veterans who involved in enrollment expansion programs of vocational colleges? Thank you. 

Ma Feixiong:

Thank you for your question. Mr. Yu will answer your question. 

Yu Jingsen:

Thank you for your concern. As we know, service members are devoted to protecting our country while most young people study at school or prepare to enter higher school. Therefore, they need to improve their educational background and vocational skills after they retire from military service. I will answer the question from the following five aspects:

First, we have strengthened the top-level design. We worked with education, finance, and social security departments to roll out more than 10 policy documents related to education (receiving higher education) and training, reconstructing the whole education and training system.

Second, we organize adaptive training. Veterans face a significant change after they retire from military service. How to adapt themselves to the social situation as quickly as possible is a challenge. We have promoted adaptive training across the country since 2019, specifying the training's content, timetables, and forms. More than 520,000 veterans have improved their social adaptability through training. 

Third, we focus on improving their educational background. We worked with the Ministry of Education to boost enrollment expansion of self-employed veterans for higher vocational colleges. More than 1 million ex-service members who graduated from high school studied at a full-time junior college without being asked to take literacy exams. Moreover, 180,000 went back to school, and 20,000 became graduate students. We conducted tuition reduction or exemption for undergraduates, junior college students and postgraduates. National grant programs for undergraduates and junior college students have covered all full-time students who retired from military service. 

Fourth, we improve their vocational skills. We have strengthened the management of training institutions, establishing a management system featuring provincial unified planning and municipal leadership. We require counties to be held responsible for work assigned by the provincial and municipal governments, releasing name lists of training institutions, assessing performance at regular intervals, and expanding training programs to encourage ex-service members to participate in programs to improve their vocational skills and satisfy their growing diversified training demand with high quality. Our training programs have covered a total of 820,000 people. 

Enrollment expansion of higher vocational colleges and employment, which the reporter mentioned, is also a hot issue of the year. The first batch of ex-service members who participated in enrollment expansion programs of vocational colleges will graduate this year, and the number of graduates is expected to reach 300,000. To ensure their employment, we worked with the Ministry of Education to coordinate deployment and arrangements and promote full and stable employment. The preliminary statistics showed that the initial employment rate for graduates from vocational colleges stood at over 80 percent.

That's all for my answer, thank you. 

China Daily:

As we all know, the transfer and resettlement of veterans are very important. What progress and achievements have been made in this regard in recent years? Thank you.  

Ma Feixiong:

Thank you for your question. Resettlement of veterans is regular work. Where there are armed forces, there is retirement. Where there is retirement, there is resettlement. I am happy to give you some information about this. 

The resettlement of veterans is a global problem. We can demonstrate our efforts by rising to challenges. Since the establishment of the MVA, we have always followed the guidelines of serving the economy and the society, serving the construction of national defense and the armed forces, adhering to the principle of appropriate resettlement, reasonable use, tapping the full potential of talents and making sure that everyone enjoys his place. We will focus on the target of high-quality development, improve policies and measures, enhance working mechanisms, and improve our services, so as to well resettle veterans. 

First, we have continued to improve the resettlement system. We established a resettlement system that featured monthly retirement payments and rolled out measures for implementation. We started a training resettlement scheme for professional talents of veterans, improved the system for choosing jobs based on service contribution, promoted the system to encourage veterans to work at the grassroots level, and standardized transfer and resettlement procedures to improve the resettlement system. 

Second, the quality of resettlement has improved steadily. We carried out a series of measures, collecting reasonable positions, making scientific resettlement plans, intensifying our efforts in training, making more significant efforts to better match talents with positions, and doing everything possible to motivate employers to improve the quality of resettlement effectively. 

For more than four years, we have successfully resettled 330,000 ex-service members, who were employed by Party and government institutions at all levels, people's organizations, public institutions and state-owned enterprises. Their satisfaction with the resettlement work has been increasing year by year. 

Third, special campaigns have progressed smoothly. We focus on serving for and promoting military reforms and overcoming difficulties. We resettled many ex-service members during military reforms and took concrete steps to address permanent residency of military personnel and resettlement of ex-firemen. We also focus on serving for war preparedness and combat capabilities and follow the principle of taking special measures in special situations. We have quickened our steps to resettle military personnel who have been put on rest for a long time and retired soldiers who are sick and disabled. We focus on resolving the pressing difficulties and problems of veterans. We completed the work of supplementary payment of basic old-age insurance of some ex-servicemen, covering 2.853 million ex-service members. The management of basic old-age insurance is now conducted regularly. All these measures and work have convincingly shown the care of the Party and governments for ex-service members. 

China Youth Daily:

Revolutionary resources serve as vivid teaching materials for all Party officials and members to stand firm in their ideals and convictions and strengthen the Party spirit. What has the MVA done to make good use of revolutionary cultural resources, pass down revolutionary traditions, and sustain revolutionary heritage? Thank you.

Ma Feixiong:

Thanks to the reporter for their question. It is one of the important functions of the Department of Commendation and Commemoration of the MVA to make good use of revolutionary cultural resources, pass down revolutionary traditions, and sustain revolutionary heritage. We will have Mr. Li Jingxian from the Department of Commendation and Commemoration answer this question.

Li Jingxian:

Thanks to the reporter for their question. The MVA has resolutely implemented the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on the use of revolutionary cultural resources and commendation and commemoration of martyrs. We have guarded memorial facilities for martyrs, held the ground for education on the history of revolution, vigorously publicized and promoted the deeds and spirit of the heroes and martyrs, passed down revolutionary traditions and sustained revolutionary heritage, gathered mental strength, and nurtured the root and soul of the nation, and taken concrete steps to promote innovative development in the commendation and commemoration of martyrs.

First, the policy and regulation system has been further improved. We have promoted the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, the General office of the State Council, and the General office of the Central Military Commission to issue overall work plans on planning, construction, renovation, management, and maintenance of memorial facilities for martyrs and the opinions on strengthening commendation and commemoration of martyrs in the new era. Our work has incorporated the protection of heroes and martyrs into the support system of Party and state awards and honors. We have rolled out measures for protecting overseas memorial facilities for martyrs and revised the measures for protection and management of memorial facilities for martyrs. We have cooperated with relevant departments to establish a joint mechanism for protecting heroes and martyrs and have issued a series of guidelines on protecting, managing, and utilizing memorial facilities for martyrs. 

Second, remarkable progress has been made in the quality improvement and renovation of memorial facilities for martyrs. We have actively collected and verified information for the use of memorial facilities for martyrs, realizing dynamic information management of 760,000 martyrs' tombs nationwide. We have joined with the National Development and Reform Commission to roll out a project to provide adequate social service facilities during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, with a focus on supporting the upgrading and renovation of national- and provincial-level memorial facilities for martyrs. We have worked with relevant departments to launch renovation projects on memorial facilities for martyrs at the county level and below, renovating 220,000 memorial facilities for martyrs nationwide and combining standardized renovation with effective management and protection. We have signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the National Cultural Heritage Administration, strengthening the preservation and utilization of revolutionary cultural resources. 

Third, education on the history of the revolution has fully played its role. We have organized publicity and education events, such as the ones themed "Heroes and Martyrs in the Centenary of the CPC" and "Red September." We have issued the third batch of national-level directories of memorial facilities and historical sites for memorizing the war against the Japanese aggression and martyrs and groups of heroes famous for fighting the war against the Japanese aggression. We have held solemn repatriation and burial ceremonies for the remains of CPV martyrs from the ROK and the burial ceremony of remains of the Red Army martyrs in the Battle of the Xiangjiang. Together with relevant military and local civilian institutions, we have held exhibitions commemorating the 70th anniversary of the CPV entering the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea. Moreover, we have compiled the deeds of famous Chinese heroes and martyrs and promoted such materials to be displayed at the Museum of the CPC. We have, working with relevant departments, directed all local governments to make good use of memorial facilities for martyrs in the Party history learning and education and created several excellent works, including one titled "I Live in Your Memory." We have continued to launch themed events to commemorate heroes and martyrs online, and organized groups of Chinese youth cadres and other delegations to visit the DPRK for tomb-sweeping and exchanges. We have directed local governments to hold solemn public commemorative events for martyrs and award ceremonies for certificates of martyr on China's Martyrs' Day. We have actively collected and conserved relics of martyrs, their family letters, and historical materials and strengthened efforts to train research fellows and narrators in memorial facilities for heroes and martyrs. Thank you.

People.cn:

Can you brief us on the arrangements of the handover, repatriation, and burial ceremonies of the ninth batch of remains of the CPV martyrs from the ROK and the latest progress on identifying family members of martyrs? Thank you.

Ma Feixiong:

Thanks to the reporter for their question. As you know, a total of eight batches of the remains of the CPV martyrs from the ROK have been returned and buried home over the past eight consecutive years. The repatriation and burial ceremonies were grand and solemn, attracting worldwide attention. We will have Mr. Li Jingxian from the Department of Commendation and Commemoration discuss the arrangements of the ninth batch.

Li Jingxian:

According to the consensus and the work plan reached by China and the ROK, the repatriation and burial ceremonies of the ninth batch of remains of the CPV martyrs from the ROK will be held from Sept. 14 to 17. The remains will be placed into coffins at a ceremony on Sept. 15 in Incheon, the ROK. The handover and repatriation ceremonies will be held on Sept. 16 at the Incheon International Airport in the ROK and the Taoxian International Airport in Shenyang, Liaoning province of China, respectively. The burial ceremony is scheduled for Sept. 17 at Shenyang's CPV martyrs' cemetery. To fully demonstrate respect for CPV martyrs and vigorously promote the spirit of the heroes and martyrs, the MVA, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant units, will continue to hold the handover and repatriation ceremonies of the ninth batch of remains of the CPV martyrs from the ROK. China's repatriation delegation is planned to be led by a comrade in charge of the MVA and consist of members of the Publicity Department and the International Department of the Central Committee of the CPC, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, and the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission. They will go to the ROK to carry out the handover and escort the remains of the CPV martyrs back to China. The leading official of the MVA will go to Shenyang to preside over the repatriation ceremony, attend the burial ceremony and deliver a eulogy. This year will mark the 20th CPC National Congress and the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the ROK. To fully demonstrate the country's respect and care, the arrangements for the handover, repatriation, and burial ceremonies of the ninth batch of the remains of the CPV martyrs from the ROK will be further optimized. The detailed arrangements are under discussion with the relevant units.

Regarding the progress of searching for relatives of martyrs, the MVA has fully implemented the decisions and plans made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, optimized the government service platform to help find relatives of martyrs, and actively promoted the work in this regard. As of now, we have found relatives for more than 2,700 martyrs. We have also completed the process of DNA extraction and identification of the remains of 825 CPV martyrs returned by the ROK. At the same time, combined with the relics of martyrs, military history, and information on the excavation of the remains of CPV martyrs, we sorted out the list of suspected relatives of some martyrs, identified 10 returned martyrs, and found their families, naming previously unknown martyrs, and returning them to their hometowns. Now, we have started the collection and identification of DNA from a new group of martyrs' families. For the next step, we will compare that DNA with the remains of martyrs and actively promote related work in a steady manner.

Tianmu News:

The medical rehabilitation of disabled revolutionary servicemen and ex-servicemen has always been a great concern to all. Could you please give us a brief introduction to the current construction, reform, and development of hospitals for entitled groups? Thank you.

Ma Feixiong:

Thank you for your question. Hospitals for entitled groups are an important front for providing services to veterans and other entitled groups. Their development and reform are now at a critical stage. We will have Mr. Cao Jun, the director general of the Department of Support and Preferential Treatment of the MVA, to answer your question. 

Cao Jun:

Thank you for your question as well as the public concern about the hospitals for entitled groups. The public may not yet be very familiar with the new concept of "hospitals for entitled groups." As a matter of fact, as Mr. Ma briefly mentioned just now, hospitals for entitled groups are an important part of troops preparing for war, warm homes for disabled servicemen and other entitled groups to enjoy medical care, rehabilitation, and support services, and an important platform for spreading care and love for revolutionary heroes. In October 1935, the first hospital for entitled groups was established in Yan'an, the holy land of our Party's revolution. Since then, these types of hospitals have made outstanding contributions to serving disabled revolutionary soldiers in different historical periods of China's revolution, construction, and reform. With continuous economic and social development, especially rapid development of national health care, problems such as outdated infrastructure, poor management systems, lack of internal vitality, and the poor planning and layout of hospitals for entitled groups have become increasingly prominent. The construction and service level of hospitals for entitled groups can no longer fully meet the needs of the situation and tasks, as well as the expectations of entitled groups including disabled veterans.

We must go ahead with reform in order to promote the high-quality development of hospitals for entitled groups. It can be summarized as the following four aspects: "positioning, layout, integration, and livening up." The "positioning" stresses that the hospitals for entitled groups are welfare public medical institutions with special missions, mainly providing medical services for entitled groups represented by disabled veterans. Their main duty must be fulfilled with high standards and to the letter. The "layout" requires us to consider the needs of war, needs of entitled groups, and public health resources distribution in a comprehensive way. In principle, we should build three provincial hospitals for entitled groups in each province and a number of regional ones across the country in accordance with the standards of tertiary hospitals. The provincial and regional hospitals for entitled groups should play an exemplary role and help other such hospitals so that we can establish a medical system for entitled groups which is well laid out. The "integration" means that the hospitals for entitled groups should be integrated into the medical and health care service system, be included in regional planning and the construction of medical alliances, enjoy the same preferential policies as other public hospitals, and also provide medical services for our society, so that we can promote the integrated development of hospitals for entitled groups and local medical service systems. "Livening up" indicates that we should strengthen Party building, management, personnel salary, performance evaluation, and other aspects so as to activate the internal driving forces of the hospitals for entitled groups, enhance their capacity for independent development, and improve their capabilities.

It is a fine tradition of the Party and the state to show their great love for revolutionary heroes. It is the main duty of hospitals for entitled groups to serve disabled soldiers and other entitled groups. Being a soldier is a special profession. As the old saying goes, "On the day of taking orders, they will forget their homes; when facing the battles, they will forget their families; when the drum beats, they will forget themselves." Being a soldier means dedication and sacrifice. I hope that governments at all levels, all localities, and all sectors of society will care for, support, and help the construction and development of hospitals for entitled groups, striving to make them stronger and better. In doing so, we will ensure medical service guarantees for military officers and soldiers, and they will definitely devote themselves to building a strong military without hesitation.

Legal Daily:

What changes has the Veterans Support Law brought about more than one year after its implementation? What policies and regulations will be rolled out next to facilitate its enforcement? 

Ma Feixiong:

Thank you for your questions. As I said a moment ago, the Veterans Support Law is China's first special law regarding veterans, so we can all imagine its significance. 

Regarding your question, I would say that it is no easy job to pass a law, and it is even more important to implement it well. The Veterans Support Law has brought about many changes more than one year after its enforcement. First, the atmosphere for studying and respecting the law has become stronger. By compiling tutorials, organizing thematic training, and making short videos, we have promoted the law extensively and continually, focusing on its background, great significance, core content, and practical requirements. Now, the capability of the people in our system to administer according to law has improved markedly, and the legal awareness of veterans has also constantly increased. Second, supporting policies and regulations have been gradually improved. Progress has been made in the formulation and revision of the regulation on the resettlement of veterans, the regulation on the compensation and preferential treatment of military personnel, and the regulation on tributes to families of martyrs. We have also adopted measures on serving and managing retired military officials who now receive benefits from the government, measures on compensating disabled veterans, measures on managing special care hospitals, measures on managing glory hospitals, and measures on protecting and managing memorial facilities for martyrs. Third, solid progress has been made in implementing the law and relevant policies. We have launched an initiative called the "Year of Law and Policy Implementation." Under the initiative, we have worked to see that veterans benefit from relevant policies by promoting coordination at the ministerial, provincial, city, and county levels, urging implementation, breaking down tasks in a detailed manner, promoting the fulfillment of responsibilities at different levels, and tackling the bottlenecks and pains in policy implementation. Fourth, the level of service has kept rising. Among the measures already taken, pensions are given out monthly; the mechanism for fair and transparent resettlement of retired military personnel has been improved, and direct settlement has been introduced; multiple measures have been adopted to help veterans get employment or start a business; subsidies for entitled groups have been increased for many years in a row; the mechanisms for helping those in difficulty and providing legal aid and judicial assistance have been improved to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of veterans according to law. 

Going forward, we will continue to study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and the important expositions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on veteran affairs. We will focus on issues that the CPC Central Committee is concerned about, veterans care much about, and those that need urgent attention. We will build a tightly woven system of laws, regulations, and policies, and move faster and with greater force to abolish outdated ones, fix deficiencies, fill gaps and implement existing laws. Specifically, we will focus on three areas of effort. First, we will step up to formulate the regulation on the resettlement of veterans, revise the regulation on the compensation and preferential treatment of military personnel and the regulation on tributes to families of martyrs, and conduct research on the formulation of regulation on the employment and entrepreneurship of veterans. Second, we will improve rules and regulations on various aspects of veteran support, including ones to strengthen their political awareness, facilitate their transfer and resettlement, support their employment and entrepreneurship, ensure their compensation and preferential treatment, and offer tributes to the families of martyrs. Third, we will instruct local veteran services to roll out rules and regulations that suit local conditions. With these efforts, we aim to build a policy system featuring unimpeded communication at all levels, coordination between different departments, policy consistency, and comprehensive support. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you to all speakers and friends from the media. That's all for today's press conference. Goodbye. 

Translated and edited by Wang Qian, Xu Xiaoxuan, Guo Yiming, Liu Qiang, Yang Xi, Zhou Jing, Huang Shan, Zhang Rui, Ma Yujia, Yan Bin, Xu Kailin, Li Huiru, Liu Sitong, Qin Qi, Wang Wei, Yuan Fang, David Ball, Jay Birbeck, and Tom Arnstein. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.