Four men, who claim to be former employees of Sinopec and veterans of the border conflict between China and Vietnam in 1979, protest outside the State-owned enterprise's headquarter in Beijing on Thursday. They say the oil giant is withholding their severance pay after ending their employment. Protests by retired servicemen have emerged across the country in recent years, and the military and civil authorities have been promoting in-service training to prepare them for future employment. Photo: Yin Yeping/GT