China allocates $106.56m for ex-servicemen's education

The Chinese central government will allocate 658 million yuan (106.56 million U.S. dollars) for vocational education of former members of the military in 2013, with that amount up 9.81 percent year on year, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said on Thursday. The fund will cover ex-servicemen's tuition, accommodation and admin fees, and a subsidy for costs of living plus medical aid during the training, according to the MOF. From 2010 to 2013, China spent 2.64 billion yuan on helping retired soldiers retrain for civilian life, with the sum growing annually by an average of 13.06 percent, the MOF said. China's General Office of the State Council and the General Office of the Central Military Commission on Wednesday called for better services to be provided for former members of the military. The central authorities said in a circular that ex-servicemen should be given preferential treatment in terms of receiving education and loans, as well as paying taxes.