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Chinese Military officers salaries rise fast
The average income of military officers has reached its highest point in decades, totally "essential" for military stability and defending the national interest according to an official military expert.
The nationwide Ministry of Defense survey of officers and their family members found that officers below the rank of a senior colonel equivalent to a US brigadier general on average earned 5,373 yuan ($825) in December, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Daily reported Thursday.
Meanwhile their family members earned 2,638 yuan ($405), 2.41 times higher than in 2005.
Every 100 military families own 16 private cars, seven times more than five years ago, the survey also found.
The average monthly income of a Shanghai citizen was 2,653 yuan ($407) last year, the highest in the country, but only half what an average military officer earned.
China increased its defense budget 12.7 percent this year to 601 billion yuan ($91.5 billion) and a large cunk of that budget is for improving the living standards of personnel, explained Li Zhaoxing, a spokesman for the annual session of China's National People's Congress.
The Central Military Commission raised military officers' wages 51.2 percent in 2006, adjusting them to catch up with rising government officials' wages.
By January this year, officers' salaries had reached the same level as government officials, the PLA Daily report said.
Internet users expressed envy Thursday. "Being a military officer in China in peacetime is so nice!" wrote an Internet user on sina.com Thursday. "They never get to spend their salaries because they don't have to pay for housing, food and clothing, while ordinary workers like us spend most of our salaries on that."
"The military is a special group in society to maintain social stability and defend the national interest so it's reasonable to keep military officers' incomes at the relevant high level as the country needs them to defend people in emergencies," Song Zhongping, a Beijing-based military commentator, told the Global Times Thursday.
The PLA Daily report argued that officers have special needs: For example, the employment rate among their spouses is relatively low and many military people must shell out on moving their family with them based on their changing duties.
Military living conditions will be further improved in the next five years, the report promised.
Military officers salaries rise fast - GlobalTimes
The average income of military officers has reached its highest point in decades, totally "essential" for military stability and defending the national interest according to an official military expert.
The nationwide Ministry of Defense survey of officers and their family members found that officers below the rank of a senior colonel equivalent to a US brigadier general on average earned 5,373 yuan ($825) in December, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Daily reported Thursday.
Meanwhile their family members earned 2,638 yuan ($405), 2.41 times higher than in 2005.
Every 100 military families own 16 private cars, seven times more than five years ago, the survey also found.
The average monthly income of a Shanghai citizen was 2,653 yuan ($407) last year, the highest in the country, but only half what an average military officer earned.
China increased its defense budget 12.7 percent this year to 601 billion yuan ($91.5 billion) and a large cunk of that budget is for improving the living standards of personnel, explained Li Zhaoxing, a spokesman for the annual session of China's National People's Congress.
The Central Military Commission raised military officers' wages 51.2 percent in 2006, adjusting them to catch up with rising government officials' wages.
By January this year, officers' salaries had reached the same level as government officials, the PLA Daily report said.
Internet users expressed envy Thursday. "Being a military officer in China in peacetime is so nice!" wrote an Internet user on sina.com Thursday. "They never get to spend their salaries because they don't have to pay for housing, food and clothing, while ordinary workers like us spend most of our salaries on that."
"The military is a special group in society to maintain social stability and defend the national interest so it's reasonable to keep military officers' incomes at the relevant high level as the country needs them to defend people in emergencies," Song Zhongping, a Beijing-based military commentator, told the Global Times Thursday.
The PLA Daily report argued that officers have special needs: For example, the employment rate among their spouses is relatively low and many military people must shell out on moving their family with them based on their changing duties.
Military living conditions will be further improved in the next five years, the report promised.
Military officers salaries rise fast - GlobalTimes
