On May 31, Xinhua published an article which stated that, by June 2018, the military and the armed police will complete a plan to stop providing paid services. According to the article, the Ministry of the Military issued the initial notice in February 2016. The execution of the plan was divided into two phases. The first phase is easier to carry out and will be completed by June 2017. It involves areas such as childhood education, the press, culture and sports, telecommunications, training, construction, transportation, equipment maintenance for the militia, maintenance, and driver’s training. The second phase includes real estate leasing, agriculture, hotels, medical services, and research science. These areas are more difficult to execute because they tend to involve long term contracts, large investments, and a number of interest groups. The target date for the second phase is June 2018. The article quoted a comment from a professor from National Defense University. He stated that some paid services have become a major source of financing for certain units and some may not quite understand why this policy is being implemented. It is expected that through more communication and persuasion all units will cooperate in order to move the project forward.
Source: Xinhua, May 31, 2017
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2017-05/31/c_1121063266.htm