PLA rewarded with monthly salary increases of up to 50pc

China will give its 2.3 million People's Liberation Army servicemen and servicewomen up to 50 per cent pay rises for their hard work last year and to boost morale during a year of sensitive anniversaries and social unrest, sources say.

'All ordinary soldiers and officers will receive 50 per cent increases, while colonel-level officials will get 30 per cent and generals 20 per cent,' a Shanghai military expert said. 'It means a recruit will receive around 1,000 yuan (HK$1,140) a month of basic salary ... while senior colonels get more than 10,000 yuan and a major generals up to 18,000 yuan.'

The expert, a retired military official, said funding for the rises was still being worked out. 'The money was supposed to be allocated by the beginning of this year. But the appropriation was suspended because the central government was busy collecting funds for Sichuan earthquake relief work,' he said.

The rise was aimed at rewarding the PLA's hard work during the Beijing Olympics and the Sichuan earthquake last year, the expert said.

'The PLA, including armed police, ground, navy and air forces as well as the Second Artillery Corps did a good job in the Beijing Olympics,' he said. 'Indeed, the soldiers who took part in the Sichuan earthquake relief work were responsible for all the toughest and most dangerous jobs.'

Cai Xuewen, a retired air force major colonel in the Beijing Military Command, said PLA officers serving in the army told him that they would have at least a 30 per cent pay rise.