Editor's note: At the "two sessions" each year, NPC deputies and CPPCC members from Chinese armed forces actively put forward bills, proposals and suggestions. We are launching the "NPC deputies and CPPCC members from the military" series, telling stories of some military service persons in fulfilling their duties as NPC deputies or CPPCC members. The following is the fourth story of the series.
By Yang Xinxin and Hong Dapeng
"My son wants to join the army after graduating from college. I didn't know relevant policies before. Now I learnt from your lecture that the law has made definite provisions on housing, medical care, insurance and many other benefits for service members, including veterans. I’m all support for my son now," a father told Professor Hao Wanlu after his lecture.
After the law on the protection of the status, rights and interests of military personnel officially came into force on August 1 last year, Hao, a CPPCC member and professor at the Joint Logistics College under PLA National Defense University, has taken up the role as a voluntary docent. He has been invited to give lectures at military and civilian units more than 20 times, and won wide recognition of the audience with his plain and direct interpretations of the law. Service members felt a greater sense of honor and pride in their careers, and the masses have more understanding and respect for them.
For Prof. Hao, being a CPPCC member isn't just an honor or an identity – it means more responsibility. Having studied the benefits for military personnel for more than 30 years, he knows only too well that the protection of their status, rights and interests involves a wide range of sectors and needs rock-solid policies, and that formulating a fundamental, comprehensive law on that is of great and far-reach significance. Therefore, he has submitted motions and proposals to advance the legislation on that subject for four consecutive years.
To delve deeper into issues related to this topic, Prof. Hao has visited relevant military and civilian departments multiple times for the voices of front-line service members.
This year, to help facilitate the implementation of the law on the protection of the status, rights and interests of military personnel, Prof. Hao has just finished his suggestions – to be submitted to the CPPCC – on putting in place a system to protect and manage the benefits for service members.
