China Honors Veterans' Affairs Units and Prepares Five-Year Strategy

China's central authorities held a commendation conference in Beijing on September 10 to honor advanced units and individuals dedicated to veterans' service and support. State Councilor Shen Yiqin delivered keynote remarks, instructing officials to maintain correct political orientation and use the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan as a strategic blueprint. Jointly organized by civilian and military bodies, the event recognized 299 organizations and 396 individuals, highlighting Beijing's continued push to link veteran welfare with national defense mobilization and social stability.

The commendation signals Beijing's policy direction for veterans' governance as planning begins for the 15th Five-Year Plan period. By explicitly linking veterans' service to both broader economic construction and military readiness, the central leadership is treating veteran reintegration not merely as a social welfare obligation, but as an essential element of defense mobilization, social cohesion, and dual-support civil-military solidarity.

Chinese authorities convened a national commendation conference in Beijing on September 10 to honor outstanding organizations and individuals in veterans' service and support, according to state media reports published by Xinhua and the People's Daily. State Councilor Shen Yiqin addressed the gathering, urging relevant departments to implement directives from General Secretary Xi Jinping and execute policy decisions issued by the Party Central Committee and the State Council. In her address, Shen stressed the necessity of anchoring veterans' work in the country's fundamental interests and key military affairs. She emphasized strengthening institutional honors, educational guidance, and role-model demonstrations to ensure former service personnel remain ideologically aligned with the ruling party. Shen noted that veterans' support mechanisms had achieved positive progress in recent years under central leadership. Looking ahead, Shen instructed officials to maintain a correct political orientation and use the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan for veterans' affairs as a guiding framework. She outlined a dual mandate for the sector: serving broader economic and social development while simultaneously supporting national defense and armed forces modernization. Her remarks called for stimulating veterans' initiative in entrepreneurship, reinforcing mutual support between civilian society and the military, and cultivating widespread public respect for military service to advance the high-quality development of veterans' work. During the conference, honors were jointly conferred by the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission, and the National Double Support Office. A total of 299 collective units and 396 individuals were commended for their contributions to veterans' service and support systems. Selected award recipients delivered speeches detailing grassroots support work and administrative practices during the session. The high-level joint commendation highlights the central government's ongoing effort to institutionalize veteran support through unified civil-military coordination. Rather than treating veteran care purely as retrospective compensation, state directives increasingly position demobilized personnel as a vital resource for domestic economic initiatives and civil defense resilience.