Regulations on Promoting the Employment and Entrepreneurship of Retired Military Personnel of China (the PRC) — Full English Translation (2026)

Promulgated by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China in 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 Retired Military Personnel, 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 retired military personnel, giving play to their human resources, safeguarding their lawful rights and interests, and making military service a respected profession throughout society.

Article 2 — Work on the employment and entrepreneurship of retired military personnel shall adhere to the leadership of the Communist Party of China, adhere to the principle of combining universal preferential treatment with additional preferential treatment, adopt a mode combining government promotion, market guidance, and social support, and encourage and support the employment and entrepreneurship of retired military personnel.

Article 3 — Retired military personnel shall be guided to develop a correct view of career choice, and shall be promoted to achieve high-quality and full employment through measures such as education and training, employment support, and entrepreneurship support.

Article 4 — The State shall incorporate work on the employment and entrepreneurship of retired military personnel into relevant plans.

People’s governments at all levels shall strengthen guidance and services for the employment and entrepreneurship of retired military personnel, and promote organs, mass organizations, enterprises, public institutions, and other entities to assume their respective responsibilities and cooperate closely, so as to form a joint force in supporting the employment and entrepreneurship of retired military personnel.

Article 5 — The competent department for retired military personnel affairs and the human resources and social security department of the State Council, and other relevant departments of central and State organs, shall perform work on the employment and entrepreneurship of retired military personnel in accordance with the division of duties.

The competent departments for retired military personnel affairs of local people’s governments at or above the county level shall strengthen publicity, organization, coordination, and other work for the employment and entrepreneurship of retired military personnel. Relevant local organs at all levels shall perform work on the employment and entrepreneurship of retired military personnel within the scope of their respective duties.

Article 6 — Respecting and caring for retired military personnel is the common responsibility of all 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 retired military personnel in accordance with law.

Article 7 — Retired military personnel shall, in employment and entrepreneurship activities, exemplarily observe the Constitution, laws, and regulations, keep 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 retired military personnel in accordance with law, with standards commensurate with the level of economic and social development and the financial capacity.

Chapter II — Education and Training

Article 9 — The State shall take measures to strengthen education and training for retired military personnel, help them improve their knowledge structure, raise their ideological and political level, vocational skill level, and comprehensive professional quality, and enhance their capacity for employment and entrepreneurship.

Article 10 — The State shall encourage retired military personnel to receive academic education, raise their educational level, and enhance their potential for employment and entrepreneurship development.

The State shall encourage retired military personnel to receive vocational school education, upgrade their technical skills, and enhance their comprehensive professional quality and practical abilities.

Article 11 — Military personnel who, before enlistment, had been admitted to an institution of higher education, or were students at an institution of higher education, shall retain their admission qualification or student status during active service, and shall be permitted to enroll or resume study within 2 years after retirement, and may transfer to another major of the same institution in accordance with State provisions.

Article 12 — Retired military personnel taking State education examinations shall enjoy preferential policies in accordance with State provisions.

Retired military personnel receiving academic education shall enjoy State education funding policies such as tuition fee and grant assistance in accordance with State provisions.

The military service organs and the competent departments for retired military personnel affairs of local people’s governments at or above the county level shall, in accordance with the division of duties, be responsible for policy publicity and identity verification for retired military personnel candidates and returning students, and the education administrative departments shall be responsible for verification of funding eligibility.

All localities shall be encouraged to introduce policies supporting retired military personnel to participate in self-study examinations for higher education and in continuing higher education programs offered by institutions of higher education.

Article 13 — Institutions of higher education and vocational schools (including technical schools) shall be encouraged to optimize talent training programs in light of the characteristics of retired military personnel.

Article 14 — Training for retired military personnel shall be oriented toward improving employment quality, closely follow social needs, adapt to scientific and technological innovation and industrial development trends, and provide retired military personnel with distinctive, refined, and targeted training services.

Article 15 — The competent departments for retired military personnel affairs of local people’s governments at or above the county level shall, according to the needs of stationed troops, assist in carrying out vocational skill reserve training and pre-departure education.

Article 16 — After military personnel are retired from active service, the competent departments for retired military personnel affairs and other departments responsible for the resettlement of retired military personnel shall organize adaptive training, distinguishing among retired military personnel under different resettlement modes. The training shall use teaching materials suited to the characteristics of retired military personnel, and the training duration shall not be less than the duration prescribed by the State.

Article 17 — Retired military personnel who meet the conditions and participate in vocational skill training shall enjoy corresponding support policies such as vocational skill training subsidies in accordance with provisions.

The competent departments for retired military personnel affairs of the people’s governments at the place of resettlement shall, according to the employment needs of self-employed retired non-commissioned officers and conscripts who have not reached the statutory retirement age, organize them to participate in vocational skill training free of charge, or provide training subsidies within the standards of the place of resettlement after they have participated in vocational skill training.

Article 18 — Self-employed retired non-commissioned officers and conscripts shall, in principle, participate in vocational skill training at the place of resettlement. Where, with the approval of the competent department for retired military personnel affairs of the people’s government at the place of resettlement, they participate in vocational skill training outside the place of resettlement, they shall be provided with training subsidies within the standards of the place of resettlement after the training ends and after examination and approval by the competent department for retired military personnel affairs of the people’s government at the place of resettlement.

Article 19 — The competent departments for retired military personnel affairs of provincial people’s governments shall be responsible for overall planning of vocational skill training for retired military personnel within their administrative areas, specifying the overall plan, management mechanism, and development direction, and may, according to actual circumstances, jointly with relevant departments, formulate and publish reference catalogs of vocational skill training programs and organize demonstration training in light of actual conditions.

The competent departments for retired military personnel affairs of people’s governments of cities divided into districts, and the competent departments for retired military personnel affairs of county-level people’s governments authorized by them, shall be responsible for the specific organization and implementation of vocational skill training for retired military personnel within their administrative areas, and shall, in light of local industrial development and urgently needed and scarce occupations, comprehensively consider the employment needs of self-employed retired non-commissioned officers and conscripts, and jointly with relevant departments formulate and publish reference catalogs of vocational skill training programs.

The competent departments for retired military personnel affairs of local people’s governments organizing and implementing vocational skill training shall, in accordance with provisions, determine training institutions from institutions of higher education, vocational schools (including technical schools), and professional training institutions, sign training contracts, announce the information of the training institutions, and dynamically update it. 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, trainee management systems, and safety management systems, organize trainees 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 retired military personnel affairs of provincial people’s governments shall, jointly with relevant departments, strengthen dynamic management of training institutions, establish training quality evaluation standards with trainee satisfaction, vocational skill evaluation, and post-training employment as the main indicators, and regularly inspect training quality to 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 retired military personnel and set up targeted training courses oriented toward the employment needs and market demands of retired military personnel.

Article 23 — The State shall implement a lifelong vocational skill training system and incorporate vocational skill training for retired military personnel into the policies and organizational implementation system of lifelong vocational skill training.

The competent department for retired military personnel affairs of the State Council shall improve the online course system and provide convenient online learning services for retired military personnel.

Employers shall be encouraged to regularly organize recruited retired military personnel to participate in training for post skill upgrading and knowledge updating.

Article 24 — The teaching resource advantages of institutions of higher education, vocational schools (including technical schools), and other institutions shall be brought into play, and in-school training services shall be strengthened, supporting retired military personnel students to obtain corresponding vocational qualification certificates or vocational skill level certificates upon passing examinations, while also obtaining academic credentials.

Article 25 — Vocational qualification certificates for skilled personnel obtained by retired military personnel during active service shall serve as lawful credentials for them to engage in corresponding occupations (types of work) after retirement, and shall be valid nationwide.

Chapter III — Employment Support

Article 26 — The State shall support retired military personnel in seeking employment through multiple channels and guide them to bring their own advantages into play in socialist modernization.

Article 27 — Where self-employed retired non-commissioned officers and conscripts were, before enlistment, personnel of organs, mass organizations, public institutions, or State-owned enterprises, they may choose to resume their posts and work after retirement, and their wages and benefits shall not be lower than the average level of personnel of the same unit under equivalent conditions.

Article 28 — When organs, mass organizations, public institutions, and State-owned enterprises recruit or hire personnel, they may appropriately relax the age and education requirements for retired military personnel and, under equal conditions, give priority to recruiting or hiring retired military personnel. When State-owned enterprises recruit personnel, they may set up a certain proportion of positions for recruiting retired military personnel as needed.

Other employers other than those specified in the preceding paragraph shall be encouraged and guided to give priority to recruiting retired military personnel under equal conditions.

Employers recruiting retired military personnel who meet State provisions shall enjoy policies such as tax incentives in accordance with law.

Article 29 — All localities shall set up a certain number of grassroots civil servant positions for recruiting retired military personnel who are university graduates and have completed 5 years of active service.

Retired military personnel who are university graduates and have completed 5 years of active service may apply for positions subject to targeted recruitment for personnel of grassroots service programs, and shall share the targeted civil servant recruitment plans with personnel of grassroots service programs.

When relevant organs at all levels organize the selection and recruitment of selected graduates, they shall pay attention to selecting outstanding university students with military service experience who meet the conditions.

Article 30 — Public institutions in counties and townships in remote and hardship areas may, in accordance with relevant provisions, conduct targeted recruitment of retired military personnel, and increase the weight of work performance in organizational review.

The appointment of qualified outstanding retired military personnel as teachers in primary and secondary schools shall be promoted. When formulating primary and secondary school teacher recruitment plans, localities may set up separate plans for retired military personnel.

Localities shall pay attention to selecting outstanding retired military personnel as full-time staff of grassroots Party organizations, communities, and villages.

Public institutions directly subordinate to the competent departments for retired military personnel affairs at all levels, and retired military personnel service stations in townships (subdistricts), shall give priority to recruiting retired military personnel who meet the conditions.

Article 31 — When the national comprehensive fire and rescue team recruits firefighters, it shall set up a certain proportion of plans for the targeted recruitment of retired non-commissioned officers and conscripts.

When recruiting auxiliary police personnel, priority shall be given to recruiting retired military personnel under equal conditions.

Civilian personnel positions in the military and positions in national defense education institutions shall give priority to selecting retired military personnel who meet the conditions.

Article 32 — The experience of retired officers working in units at or below the regiment level in the military, and the experience of active service of retired non-commissioned officers and conscripts, shall be regarded as grassroots work experience.

The years of active service of retired military personnel shall be counted as length of service, and shall be cumulatively counted with the years of work at their employing units after retirement, and they shall enjoy corresponding benefits related to length of service prescribed by the State and their employing units.

Article 33 — The competent departments for retired military personnel affairs of local people’s governments at or above the county level shall, jointly with relevant departments, carry out employment recommendation and vocational guidance for retired military personnel, regularly organize recruitment activities for retired military personnel, carry out various forms of job promotion, and build platforms for the employment of retired military personnel.

Public human resources service institutions shall provide retired military personnel with services such as job introduction and vocational guidance free of charge.

Article 34 — Local people’s governments at all levels shall incorporate retired military personnel who meet the criteria for identification as persons with employment difficulties into the scope of employment assistance and give priority to providing support.

Chapter IV — Entrepreneurship Support

Article 35 — Retired military personnel with the conditions and willingness to start businesses shall be encouraged and supported to start businesses and drive more employment.

Article 36 — Retired military personnel engaging in individual businesses shall enjoy policies such as tax incentives in accordance with law.

Article 37 — Retired military personnel starting businesses may apply for business guarantee loans in accordance with State provisions and enjoy financing preferential policies such as interest subsidies on loans.

Financial institutions shall, in accordance with market principles, provide financial products and services that meet the entrepreneurship needs of retired military personnel in accordance with laws and regulations, and expand the coverage of credit services for retired military personnel.

Social capital shall be encouraged to establish entrepreneurship funds for retired military personnel to broaden their financing channels.

Article 38 — Entrepreneurship bases (parks) invested and constructed by local people’s governments at or above the county level, or jointly constructed with society, may give priority to providing services for the entrepreneurship of retired military personnel through such means as setting up dedicated areas.

Areas where conditions permit may establish entrepreneurship carriers for retired military personnel to provide priority and preferential services in business premises, investment and financing, project matchmaking, and other aspects for their entrepreneurship.

Article 39 — Local people’s governments at or above the county level shall support and guide retired military personnel with the willingness and training needs to start businesses to participate in entrepreneurship training.

The establishment of entrepreneurship service teams for retired military personnel by the competent departments for retired military personnel affairs of local people’s governments at or above the county level shall be encouraged, giving play to their roles in entrepreneurship guidance, absorbing the employment of retired military personnel, and mutual assistance development among enterprises.

Article 40 — Government service institutions and public service institutions established by departments of the State Council and by local people’s governments at or above the county level and their departments shall set up windows or green channels for retired military personnel to provide services such as registration, tax and fee handling, and subsidy application for their entrepreneurship.

Article 41 — Retired military personnel shall be encouraged to start businesses and innovate around new technologies, new industries, new business forms, and key State-supported fields. Eligible small and medium-sized enterprises founded by retired military personnel shall be supported to participate in the evaluation of technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises.

The competent departments for retired military personnel affairs of people’s governments at or above the county level shall take multiple measures to promote the transformation of outstanding project results from entrepreneurship and innovation competitions for retired military personnel.

Article 42 — The competent departments for retired military personnel affairs of people’s governments at or above the county level shall guide retired military personnel to make good use of various preferential entrepreneurship support policies.

Chapter V — Legal Liability

Article 43 — Where the competent department for retired military personnel affairs or any of its staff commits any of the following acts, its superior competent department shall order rectification; the responsible leading personnel and directly responsible personnel shall be subject to sanctions in accordance with law:

(1) issuing false documents in work on the employment and entrepreneurship of retired military personnel;

(2) misappropriating, withholding, or privately dividing funds and other money for work on the employment and entrepreneurship of retired military personnel;

(3) using their positions to seek private gain for themselves or others in work on the employment and entrepreneurship of retired military personnel;

(4) dereliction of duty or negligence in work on the employment and entrepreneurship of retired military personnel; or

(5) other acts in violation of laws and regulations.

Article 44 — Where other departments responsible for relevant work on the employment and entrepreneurship of retired military personnel and their staff violate these Regulations, their superior competent departments shall order rectification; the responsible leading personnel and directly responsible personnel shall be subject to sanctions in accordance with law.

Article 45 — Where retired military personnel obtain relevant benefits by fraud through deception, the relevant competent department shall cancel the benefits, recover the illegal gains, and their employing units or relevant departments shall impose sanctions in accordance with law.

Article 46 — Where a violation of these Regulations constitutes a violation of public security administration, public security administration penalties shall be imposed in accordance with law; where a crime is constituted, criminal liability shall be pursued in accordance with law.

Chapter VI — Supplementary Provisions

Article 47 — These Regulations shall apply to officers, non-commissioned officers, conscripts, and other personnel of the Chinese People’s Armed Police Force who are retired from active service in accordance with law.

Article 48 — These Regulations shall be effective from August 1, 2026.

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