Civilian personnel rules revised to attract talent

A revised regulation on civilian personnel in the military was released on Friday as part of efforts to attract talented workers to the armed forces.

The new rules, jointly issued by the State Council and the Central Military Commission, defines civilian personnel as those who work in management or professional technical posts and are not active servicemen or women.

According to the commission’s Military and Civilian Personnel Bureau, the revision is aimed at expanding the scope of civilian posts, optimizing the personnel structure, and saving costs in human resources. It is also expected to help build a high-quality and professional talent pool for the military.

It is common practice for modern armies to actively recruit civilian personnel, the bureau said, adding that China also needs to improve its civilian personnel institutions to optimize the structure of its military force.