BEIJING, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- China has rolled out a host of measures to help military veterans find jobs and protect their legitimate rights and interests.

Local governments provided more than 80,000 former military officers with civilian jobs and helped over 400,000 retired soldiers resettle in 2018, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs said at a press conference Wednesday.

Moreover, China's 123 centrally-administered state-owned enterprises have mobilized and offered around 15,000 job positions to veterans last year.

China also granted preferential policies to ex-servicemen who set up businesses, including financial and tax benefits, said the ministry, which was unveiled in April 2018 with the aim of providing better services to veterans.

The ministry has strengthened the education and training for veterans to make them more competitive in the job market and provided additional benefits for job-hunters.