Accommodating Veterans in China : Resettlement, Resistance, and the Rise of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs

During the past ten years, China has undergone significant shifts in stateveteran relations, including the reduction of 30,000 military personnel, increased veterans' activism, and the establishment of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs in 2018. This article reviews China's veteran-resettlement system, summarizes veterans' grievances and claims, and evaluates the Ministry's effectiveness in addressing veterans' concerns. It argues that, thus far, the Ministry's efforts have been largely performative rather than substantive. It primarily focuses on providing secondary services, such as visiting veterans on special occasions, while sidestepping the resolution of core issues raised by disaffected veterans, such as ex-officers' requests to reinstate their cadre status. This disparity between state provisions and veterans' demands stems primarily from structural challenges in policy revision and implementation in the post-Mao era, rather than from corruption among state agents. Despite its limited effectiveness so far, the government's institutional accommodation signifies a willingness to make concessions and its dedication to the well-being of veterans, which may help alleviate veterans' frustrations. The new institutions also serve as official channels for veterans to articulate their interests, potentially discouraging further street protests. This research contributes to the ongoing discourse on state responses to claim-making groups and the dynamics of state-veteran relations in China.