BEIJING - China will ensure and improve veterans' standard of living through a reformed pension system, Xinhua learned on Wednesday.

The State Council and the Central Military Commission have approved a plan to improve the veteran pension system. The General Department of Logistics, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Headquarters of the General Staff and the General Political Department of the People's Liberation Army jointly issued two notices on the reform.

The notices said that veterans will be retroactively eligible for the benefits from Oct 1, 2014, and they will be subsidized by the central government with a basic pension allowance and occupational pension allowance.

An unidentified official with the General Department of Logistics said the reform shows the central authority and President Xi Jinping's concern for service people.

The improved veteran pension system will be conducive to ensuring their livelihood after retirement, improving military service as an occupation, motivating military personnel and encouraging more young people to join the army, the official said.