Veterans Are “Leeks” Too — Angry Shout: “Joining the CCP Was a Mistake”

In November 2025, a demobilized veteran in Yunnan knelt and crawled on the ground over a subsidy of less than 1,000 yuan.)

[People News] In Chinese internet slang, “leeks” refers to ordinary people who are repeatedly exploited or cut down by authorities. Among them, many say, are demobilized veterans.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has declared it will not rule out using force to achieve so-called “unification” with Taiwan. Beginning April 1, 2025, a newly revised veterans’ oath requires former soldiers to pledge: “If war comes, we will return when called.” However, some veterans have expressed refusal to be recalled. They argue that after leaving the military, their promised benefits and welfare have not been guaranteed. Many see themselves as marginalized and oppressed, leading to recurring group rights-defense protests that are often met with suppression.

Veterans Also Feel Exploited

Around the Lunar New Year each year, petitioners from across China travel to Beijing seeking redress — including veterans.

• On February 9, 2026, outside the Fengtai District Veterans Affairs petition office in Beijing, a former soldier climbed a tree and attempted to hang himself in despair.

• On February 7, a Guangdong veteran posted a video complaining that the government’s New Year “慰问礼品” (holiday gifts) consisted only of propaganda leaflets and couplets. He had expected financial assistance. With irony, he said, “Thank you to the country, thank you to the government — I’m already moved to tears.”

Another veteran, Zuo Rongmin, who retired in 1993, traveled from Liuzhou to Guangzhou to pursue a petition. According to his account, he faced retaliation, including alleged harassment and possible poisoning. He claims his health has deteriorated and that he lacks funds for medical treatment.

Ministry for Veterans Affairs: Stability Tool?

In theory, local governments are supposed to provide pensions and job placements for veterans, particularly in state-owned enterprises. In practice, many promises have reportedly gone unfulfilled, sparking protests.

Large-scale veteran gatherings in 2016 and 2017, including protests near central government offices, alarmed authorities. In 2018, the government established the Ministry of Veterans Affairs. However, further protests occurred later that year in Jiangsu and Shandong. Although new legislation was passed in 2020 to strengthen protections, economic pressures — including pandemic impacts and local debt — have reportedly limited implementation.

Zhang Heli, a former soldier now living in New Zealand, said authorities created the ministry primarily to manage unrest rather than fully resolve veterans’ concerns. He described a dual approach: providing limited employment to some while suppressing others who continued activism.

“Joining the CCP Was a Mistake”

In recent years, protests have been smaller than the mass gatherings of 2016–2018, but isolated incidents continue.

Common grievances include:

• Insufficient resettlement payments

• Low pensions

• Employment difficulties

• Inadequate disability compensation

In November 2025, a video from Yunnan showed a former militia member who participated in the Sino-Vietnamese conflict kneeling and crawling before officials over a monthly subsidy of less than 1,000 yuan.

In June 2025, a widely circulated video showed a veteran at a train station in Jiangsu shouting: “Being a soldier was a mistake. Joining the CCP was a mistake.”

In December 2025, online footage showed clashes between police and retired military families at a naval residential compound in Shanghai.

Zhang Heli urged active and retired military personnel to reassess their relationship with the Party, arguing that reform or systemic change would be necessary for conditions to improve.

Some veterans have reportedly posted statements on overseas websites declaring withdrawal from Party-affiliated organizations, describing it as a personal and moral choice.