More military rewards for ordinary soldiers

This is a welcome move, because despite being the pillars of national security, ordinary soldiers have to often compromise with their poor living conditions - the ones who guard the nation's frontiers do not have the economic strength to guard against material trouble at home. By granting them more chances of winning rewards, the new regulation will hopefully boost their sense of honor and loyalty.

The regulation also separates citations from material rewards, which is the system most of the militaries across the world follow. China embarked on market reforms in the late 1970s, following which the Chinese military tended to connect honor with material bonus to the rank and file. Both are necessary, but confusing or mixing the two could be dangerous, because once military personnel start equaling award with material gain they will lose their true sense of honor.

Since previous attempts to correct the situation proved ineffective, the new regulation specifies that all titles and awards should be devoid of monetary bonus. This move will help military personnel to reestablish their sense of honor. This does not mean that military personnel will no longer get monetary bonus; this only means that awards and citations will be separated from rewards.

Another striking feature of the new regulation is that it puts a cap on the total amount for rewards. Normally, the more responsibilities a military shoulders, the more rewards it will offer, especially at the higher levels. But when too many military personnel get high-level rewards, how can they cherish their medals and honors?

Besides, the large number of rewards for military officers has resulted in undeserving people getting them, belittling the meaning and value of such rewards. The new regulation is expected to raise the worth of medals and rewards by controlling their numbers and introducing strict procedures of bestowing them.

The Chinese army has many glorious achievements in its 87 years of existence, which would not have been possible without military personnel having the sense of honor. The new regulation will help cultivate the sense of honor among PLA personnel. And the military will perform its duties with greater dedication and commitment, and defend the country's borders with greater valor once the regulation is implemented.

The authors are professors at PLA International Relations University in Nanjing.