China to support veterans to find jobs in more emerging sectors

The State Council Information Office (SCIO) holds a press conference on accelerating high-quality development of veterans affairs during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) in Beijing, capital of China, July 31, 2026. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)

BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhua) -- China will support retired service personnel as they start careers in a wider range of fields, including emerging sectors such as new energy vehicles (NEVs), high-end equipment manufacturing, and the low-altitude economy, according to a press conference by the Ministry of Veteran Affairs on Friday.

Sui Hongbo, vice minister of veteran affairs, said at the press conference that the ministry will also work with local governments to encourage qualified veterans to seek employment or start businesses in software development, e-commerce, and health sectors.

People retiring from military service in China have benefited from a long-running system that provides them with access to civilian employment, including positions in government agencies and state-owned enterprises. According to Sui, the ministry will strengthen coordination with government authorities responsible for emergency response, public security and education to help more veterans find jobs as teachers, auxiliary police officers, and firefighters.

The ministry will also broaden cooperation with enterprises to launch additional job fairs in partnership with centrally administered state-owned enterprises and leading private companies, providing more employment opportunities for veterans, he added.

According to Sui, the Ministry of Veteran Affairs has organized vocational skills training for roughly 1.22 million veterans since its establishment in 2018. He noted that the ministry plans to develop new training programs involving emerging industries, advanced manufacturing sectors, and modern service industries, with courses covering fields such as drones and artificial intelligence. ■