The special care and placement system is one by which the Chinese government provides materials and expresses compassion mainly for servicemen and their families. At present, such people number over 40 million.

To protect the rights and interests of people eligible for special care, the Chinese government has promulgated the “Regulations on Commending Revolutionary Martyrs,” “Regulations on Special Care and Preferential Treatment for Servicemen,” and similar laws and regulations. The state sets different grades and standards for special care and preferential treatment according to the eligible people’s capacities and contributions, and with reference to the level of economic and social development. State compensation is provided to families of martyrs and servicemen who died on duty or of illnesses, and wounded and disabled servicemen. Regular and fixed living allowances are provided for special cases such as demobilized veterans. Allowances are universally distributed to the families of conscripts. Special cases, including disabled servicemen, enjoy social preferential treatment in terms of medical care, housing, transportation, education and employment. In 2003, there were 4.65 million people eligible for state compensation and subsidy, and government budgets at all levels for such compensation and subsidy totaled 8.79 billion yuan.

The “Military Service Law of the People’s Republic of China,” “Regulations on Placement for Demobilized Conscripts,” and similar laws and regulations provide for the placement and resettlement of demobilized servicemen. The government provides employment for demobilized soldiers in urban areas, and grants a lump-sum subsidy as well as preferential policy support for those who seek their own employment. Demobilized conscripts from rural areas have their difficulties in production, livelihood and medicare settled according to their different situations. Government and non-government organizations, enterprises and public institutions provide preferential recruitment for ex-servicemen from both urban and rural areas. Secondary schools and schools of higher learning provide preferential admission to ex-servicemen. Appropriate care is given to wounded and disabled ex-servicemen in terms of employment and livelihood. Arrangements for placement and resettlement are made for demobilized, transferred and retired military officers (including non-commissioned officers). Now, relevant services have been established by governments at all levels.

Proceeding from protecting the immediate interests of the people eligible for special care and preferential treatment, as well as ex-servicemen, the Chinese government is determined to mobilize all sectors of the society to continuously improve the special care and placement system, increase the level of protection for people of this category, promote legal and institutional guarantees for the placement and resettlement of ex-servicemen, and protect the legal rights and interests of the people eligible for special care and preferential treatment.