Adopted at the 88th Executive Meeting of the State Council on June 5, 2026
Promulgated by Decree No. 840 of the State Council on June 26, 2026
Effective: August 1, 2026
Table of Contents
Chapter I — General Provisions
Article 1 — These Regulations are formulated in accordance with the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of Veterans, the Employment Promotion Law of the People’s Republic of China, and other relevant laws, for the purposes of promoting the employment and entrepreneurship of veterans, giving full play to the role of veterans as human resources, safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of veterans, and making the military profession one respected by the whole of society.
Article 2 — The work of promoting the employment and entrepreneurship of veterans shall uphold the leadership of the Communist Party of China, adhere to the principle of combining universal benefits with preferential treatment, adopt a method that combines government promotion, market guidance, and social support, and encourage and support the employment and entrepreneurship of veterans.
Article 3 — Veterans shall be guided to establish correct concepts of career choice, and their high-quality and full employment shall be promoted through measures such as education and training, employment support, and entrepreneurship assistance.
Article 4 — The state shall incorporate the work of promoting the employment and entrepreneurship of veterans into relevant plans.
People’s governments at all levels shall strengthen the guidance and services for the employment and entrepreneurship of veterans, and urge state organs, mass organizations, enterprises, public institutions, and other entities to perform their respective duties and cooperate closely, so as to form a synergy of support for the employment and entrepreneurship of veterans.
Article 5 — The competent department of the State Council for veterans’ affairs, the human resources and social security departments, and other relevant departments of the central and state organs shall, in accordance with the division of duties, properly carry out the work of promoting the employment and entrepreneurship of veterans.
The competent departments for veterans’ affairs of local people’s governments at or above the county level shall strengthen the publicity, organization, coordination, and other work relating to the employment and entrepreneurship of veterans. The relevant organs at all local levels shall, within the scope of their respective duties, properly carry out the work of promoting the employment and entrepreneurship of veterans.
Article 6 — Respecting and caring for veterans is the common responsibility of the whole of society. The state shall encourage and guide enterprises, social organizations, individuals, and other social forces to provide support and assistance for the employment and entrepreneurship of veterans in accordance with the law.
Article 7 — Veterans shall, in their employment and entrepreneurship activities, exemplarily observe the Constitution and laws and regulations, safeguard military secrets, practice the core socialist values, and actively participate in socialist modernization.
Article 8 — The state shall provide financial support for the employment and entrepreneurship of veterans in accordance with the law, and the standards shall be commensurate with the level of economic and social development and the financial situation.
Chapter II — Education and Training
Article 9 — The state shall take measures to strengthen education and training for veterans, help veterans improve their knowledge structure, raise their ideological and political level, vocational skill level, and comprehensive vocational quality, and enhance their capacity for employment and entrepreneurship.
Article 10 — The state shall encourage veterans to receive academic education, raise their level of academic attainment, and enhance their potential for employment and entrepreneurship development.
The state shall encourage veterans to receive vocational school education, improve their technical skills, and enhance their comprehensive vocational quality and capacity for action.
Article 11 — Students who had been admitted by an ordinary institution of higher education before enlistment, or who were studying at an ordinary institution of higher education at the time of enlistment, shall have their admission qualifications or student status retained during their active military service, and shall be permitted to enroll or resume their studies within two years after retirement, and may transfer to other specialties of the same school in accordance with the relevant state regulations.
Article 12 — Veterans who participate in national education examinations shall enjoy preferential policies in accordance with the relevant state regulations.
Veterans receiving academic education shall enjoy tuition, scholarship, and other state education funding policies in accordance with the relevant state regulations.
The military service organs and the competent departments for veterans’ affairs of local people’s governments at or above the county level shall, in accordance with the division of duties, be responsible for the policy publicity and identity verification for veteran examinees and students resuming their studies, and the education administrative departments shall be responsible for the verification of funding qualifications.
All localities shall be encouraged to introduce policies to support veterans in participating in self-study examinations for higher education and higher academic continuing education run by various institutions of higher education.
Article 13 — Ordinary institutions of higher education, vocational colleges (including technical colleges), and the like shall be encouraged to optimize their talent training programs in light of the characteristics of veterans.
Article 14 — Training for veterans shall be oriented toward improving the quality of employment, closely center on social needs, adapt to technological innovation and industrial development trends, and provide veterans with distinctive, refined, and highly targeted training services.
Article 15 — The competent departments for veterans’ affairs of local people’s governments at or above the county level shall, in accordance with the needs of the stationed troops, assist in carrying out vocational skill reserve training and pre-departure education.
Article 16 — After military personnel retire from active service, the competent departments for veterans’ affairs and other departments responsible for the resettlement of veterans shall organize adaptive training by distinguishing veterans under different resettlement methods. The training shall use teaching materials suitable for the characteristics of veterans, and the duration of training shall not be less than the duration prescribed by the state.
Article 17 — Veterans who meet the conditions and participate in vocational skill training shall enjoy corresponding support policies such as vocational skill training subsidies in accordance with regulations.
The competent departments for veterans’ affairs of the people’s governments of the places of resettlement shall, in accordance with the employment needs of retired non-commissioned officers and conscripts under independent employment who have not reached the statutory retirement age, organize them to participate in vocational skill training free of charge, or grant training subsidies within the standards of the place of resettlement after they have participated in vocational skill training.
Article 18 — Retired non-commissioned officers and conscripts under independent employment shall in principle participate in vocational skill training in the place of resettlement. Where, with the approval of the competent department for veterans’ affairs of the people’s government of the place of resettlement, they participate in vocational skill training in a region other than the place of resettlement, training subsidies shall be granted within the standards of the place of resettlement after the training is completed and upon the examination and approval of the competent department for veterans’ affairs of the people’s government of the place of resettlement.
Article 19 — The competent departments for veterans’ affairs of the people’s governments at the provincial level shall be responsible for coordinating the vocational skill training of veterans within their respective administrative areas, specifying the overall plan, management mechanism, and development direction, and may, in light of actual circumstances, formulate and publish a reference catalog of vocational skill training programs together with the relevant departments, and organize demonstration training in light of actual conditions.
The competent departments for veterans’ affairs of the people’s governments of cities divided into districts, and the competent departments for veterans’ affairs of the people’s governments at the county level authorized by them, shall be responsible for the specific organization and implementation of vocational skill training of veterans within their respective administrative areas, and shall, in light of local industrial development and the needs of urgently needed and scarce occupations, comprehensively consider the employment needs of retired non-commissioned officers and conscripts under independent employment, and formulate and publish a reference catalog of vocational skill training programs together with the relevant departments.
The competent departments for veterans’ affairs of the local people’s governments organizing and implementing vocational skill training shall, in accordance with regulations, determine the training institutions from ordinary institutions of higher education, vocational colleges (including technical colleges), and professional training institutions, sign training contracts, publish the information of the training institutions, and update it dynamically. Where government procurement is involved, the relevant provisions on government procurement shall be strictly implemented.
Article 20 — Training institutions shall establish and improve teaching management systems, student management systems, and safety management systems, organize students to participate in vocational ability evaluation, and recommend employment positions.
Training institutions shall be encouraged to share high-quality training resources.
Article 21 — The competent departments for veterans’ affairs of the people’s governments at the provincial level shall, together with the relevant departments, strengthen dynamic management of training institutions, establish training quality evaluation standards with student satisfaction, vocational skill evaluation, and post-training employment as the main indicators, regularly inspect training quality, and improve the quality and level of vocational skill training.
Article 22 — Public training bases shall be encouraged to proactively undertake vocational skill training programs for veterans, and set up targeted training courses oriented toward the employment needs of veterans and market demand.
Article 23 — The state shall implement a lifelong vocational skill training system, and incorporate vocational skill training for veterans into the lifelong vocational skill training policy and organizational implementation system.
The competent department of the State Council for veterans’ affairs shall improve the online course system and provide convenient online learning services for veterans.
Employers shall be encouraged to regularly organize the veterans they recruit to participate in post-skill upgrading and knowledge updating training.
Article 24 — The teaching resource advantages of ordinary institutions of higher education, vocational colleges (including technical colleges), and the like shall be fully leveraged to strengthen on-campus training services, and support veteran students in obtaining, upon passing examinations and assessments, the corresponding vocational qualification certificates or vocational skill level certificates while obtaining academic certificates.
Article 25 — The vocational qualification certificates for skilled personnel obtained by veterans during their active military service shall serve as lawful credentials for engaging in the corresponding occupations (types of work) after their retirement from active service, and shall be generally valid nationwide.
Chapter III — Employment Support
Article 26 — The state shall support veterans in seeking employment through multiple channels and guide veterans to give full play to their own advantages and devote themselves to socialist modernization.
Article 27 — Retired non-commissioned officers and conscripts under independent employment who, before enlistment, were personnel of state organs, mass organizations, public institutions, or state-owned enterprises may, after retirement from active service, choose to resume their former posts or work, and their wages and benefits shall not be lower than the average level of personnel of the same unit under the same conditions.
Article 28 — When state organs, mass organizations, public institutions, and state-owned enterprises recruit or hire personnel, they may appropriately relax the age and academic requirements for veterans and give priority to recruiting and hiring veterans under equal conditions. When state-owned enterprises recruit personnel, they may set up a certain proportion of positions for recruiting veterans as needed.
Other employers other than those specified in the preceding paragraph shall be encouraged and guided to give priority to recruiting veterans under equal conditions when recruiting personnel.
Employers that recruit veterans in compliance with state regulations shall enjoy tax preferences and other policies in accordance with the law.
Article 29 — All localities shall set up a certain number of grassroots civil servant positions open to veterans who are college graduates and have served on active duty for at least five years.
Veterans who are college graduates and have served on active duty for at least five years may apply for positions under the targeted recruitment for personnel who have served in grassroots projects, and share the targeted civil servant recruitment plans with personnel who have served in grassroots projects.
When organizing the recruitment of selected and transferred graduates, the relevant organs at all levels shall pay attention to selecting outstanding college students who meet the conditions and have service experience.
Article 30 — Public institutions in counties and townships in remote and hardship areas may, in accordance with the relevant regulations, conduct special recruitment of veterans, and increase the weight of work performance in organizational assessment.
The employment of outstanding veterans who meet the conditions as teachers in primary and secondary schools shall be promoted. When formulating primary and secondary school teacher recruitment plans, all localities may set up separate plans for veterans.
All localities shall pay attention to selecting outstanding veterans to serve as full-time staff members of primary-level Party organizations, communities, and villages.
Public institutions directly under the competent departments for veterans’ affairs at all levels and the veterans’ service stations at the township (subdistrict) level shall give priority to recruiting veterans who meet the conditions.
Article 31 — When the national comprehensive fire and rescue force recruits firefighters, it shall set up a certain proportion of plans for the special recruitment of retired non-commissioned officers and conscripts.
When recruiting auxiliary police personnel, priority shall be given to recruiting veterans under equal conditions.
Positions of civilian personnel of the armed forces and positions of national defense education institutions shall give priority to employing veterans who meet the conditions.
Article 32 — The experience of retired officers serving in units at and below the regimental level in the armed forces, and the experience of retired non-commissioned officers and conscripts on active duty, shall be regarded as grassroots work experience.
The period of active military service of veterans shall be calculated as length of service, and shall be cumulatively calculated with the length of service in the unit after retirement, and they shall enjoy the corresponding treatment related to length of service prescribed by the state and the unit.
Article 33 — The competent departments for veterans’ affairs of local people’s governments at or above the county level shall, together with the relevant departments, carry out employment recommendation and vocational guidance for veterans, regularly organize recruitment activities for veterans, carry out various forms of position promotion, and build platforms for the employment of veterans.
Public human resources service institutions shall provide veterans with free services such as job introduction and vocational guidance.
Article 34 — Local people’s governments at all levels shall incorporate veterans who meet the conditions for identification as persons with employment difficulties into the scope of employment assistance, and give priority to providing assistance.
Chapter IV — Entrepreneurship Support
Article 35 — Veterans who have the conditions and willingness to start businesses shall be encouraged and supported to start businesses and drive more employment.
Article 36 — Veterans engaged in individual business operations shall enjoy tax preferences and other policies in accordance with the law.
Article 37 — Veterans starting businesses may apply for guaranteed loans for entrepreneurship in accordance with the relevant state regulations, and enjoy preferential financing policies such as loan interest subsidies.
Financial institutions shall, in accordance with the principle of marketization and in compliance with laws and regulations, provide financial products and services that meet the entrepreneurial needs of veterans, and expand the coverage of credit services for veterans.
Social capital shall be encouraged to establish entrepreneurship funds for veterans and broaden the financing channels for veterans.
Article 38 — Entrepreneurship bases (parks) and the like invested and built by local people’s governments at or above the county level or jointly built with society may, through the establishment of special zones and other forms, give priority to providing services for veterans starting businesses.
Regions with the conditions may establish entrepreneurship carriers for veterans, and provide veterans starting businesses with priority and preferential services in terms of business premises, investment and financing, and project matching.
Article 39 — Local people’s governments at or above the county level shall support and guide veterans who have the willingness and training needs to start businesses to participate in entrepreneurship training.
The competent departments for veterans’ affairs of local people’s governments at or above the county level shall be encouraged to establish entrepreneurship service teams for veterans, and give full play to their role in entrepreneurship guidance, absorbing veterans into employment, and mutual assistance and development among enterprises.
Article 40 — Government service institutions, public service institutions, and the like established by departments of the State Council and local people’s governments at or above the county level and their departments shall set up windows or green channels for veterans, and provide veterans starting businesses with services such as registration, tax handling, and subsidy application.
Article 41 — Veterans shall be encouraged to start businesses and innovate around new technologies, new industries, new business forms, and key areas supported by the state. Small and medium-sized enterprises founded by veterans that meet the conditions shall be supported in participating in the evaluation of technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises.
The competent departments for veterans’ affairs of the people’s governments at or above the county level shall take multiple measures to promote the commercialization of outstanding project results in entrepreneurship and innovation competitions for veterans.
Article 42 — The competent departments for veterans’ affairs of the people’s governments at or above the county level shall guide veterans to make good use of various preferential policies for entrepreneurship support.
Chapter V — Legal Liability
Article 43 — Where the competent departments for veterans’ affairs and their staff members commit any of the following acts, their superior competent departments shall order them to make corrections; and the leading personnel and directly responsible personnel who are liable shall be given sanctions in accordance with the law:
(1) issuing false documents in the work of promoting the employment and entrepreneurship of veterans;
(2) misappropriating, withholding, or privately distributing funds for the work of promoting the employment and entrepreneurship of veterans;
(3) taking advantage of their positions to seek private benefits for themselves or others in the work of promoting the employment and entrepreneurship of veterans;
(4) committing dereliction of duty in the work of promoting the employment and entrepreneurship of veterans; or
(5) committing other acts in violation of laws and regulations.
Article 44 — Where other departments responsible for the work relating to the employment and entrepreneurship of veterans and their staff members violate the provisions of these Regulations, their superior competent departments shall order them to make corrections; and the leading personnel and directly responsible personnel who are liable shall be given sanctions in accordance with the law.
Article 45 — Where veterans obtain relevant benefits by fraud, the relevant competent departments shall cancel the benefits, recover the illegal gains, and the unit to which they belong or the relevant departments shall give sanctions in accordance with the law.
Article 46 — Where a violation of the provisions of these Regulations constitutes a violation of public security administration, a public security administration punishment shall be imposed in accordance with the law; where it constitutes a crime, criminal liability shall be pursued in accordance with the law.
Chapter VI — Supplementary Provisions
Article 47 — Officers, non-commissioned officers, and conscripts of the Chinese People’s Armed Police Force who retire from active service in accordance with the law, and other personnel, shall be governed by these Regulations.
Article 48 — These Regulations shall come into force on August 1, 2026.
Disclaimer: This is an unofficial English translation of the Regulations on Promoting Employment and Entrepreneurship of Veterans of the People’s Republic of China, provided for general reference only. It has been prepared for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. In the event of any discrepancy between this translation and the original Chinese text, the original Chinese text shall prevail. Readers should consult qualified legal counsel for advice on specific matters.
