China’s military is expected to receive a significant pay raise this year, with a focus on young officers and those serving on the frontier, according to the report. A colonel officer could receive a $7,000 increase. The move is seen as a way to boost the morale of China’s military, stabilize the military and reduce its brain drain amid tensions around China.
According to the South China Morning Post, cited by the Central News Agency, the PLA is expected to give officers a 40 percent pay raise this year, with troops stationed in Tibet, Xinjiang, the East China Sea, the South China Sea and other border units, as well as young officers with good prospects, benefiting the most.
Citing sources, the newspaper reported that the PLA’s pay raise of about 40 percent is intended to attract and retain talent and give young soldiers confidence in the ongoing reforms, following a push by Xi Jinping, chairman of the Communist Party’s Central Military Commission, for a more modern military reform.
The newspaper quoted a Beijing colonel, who requested anonymity, as saying the wave of pay increases would give him up to an additional 7,000 yuan, and that he was expected to earn more than 20,000 yuan a month. But he also said it was unclear when the pay raise would be implemented, which is believed to be in the near future.
The newspaper pointed out that the biggest beneficiaries of this wave of salary increase are the soldiers stationed in Tibet, Xinjiang, the East China Sea and the South China Sea and other borders. Another retired military officer said that retired soldiers will also receive a higher monthly retirement pay according to the number of years of service.
The report cited military experts as saying that the pay raise is related to the “Interim Regulations on the Administration of Active Duty Military Officers” issued by the Central Military Commission under Xi Jinping on January 1. The regulations also cover more than 10 related rules, including selection, training, promotion and benefits for officers.
But the report cited military sources as saying that both active and retired officers are concerned about the strong influence of the CPC Central Military Commission and the lack of transparency in the system.
The source said, “The Central Military Commission only mentions that they have issued more than 10 regulations, but none of them are public documents, meaning that only higher-ranking officers have access to read them.” He noted that all officers welcome the improved treatment, but also want a comprehensive legal system like the Veterans Security Act.
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