China has granted special amnesty to a total of 31,527 prisoners by the end of 2015 under the nation's first prisoner amnesty since 1975.

Some 50 prisoners, who had participated in China's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-45) and the civil war against the Kuomintang army from 1945 to 1949 but committed crimes afterwards for which they were imprisoned, received the amnesty, along with 1,428 people who had participated in wars to safeguard the national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity after the founding of the People's Republic of China before committing crimes, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Monday.

A total of 122 prisoners who are aged 75 or above, as well as those who are unable to take care of themselves due to physical disabilities were pardoned.

Another 29,927 enjoyed the amnesty because the policy also applies to those who were under the age of 18 when committed the crimes and who received a maximum custodial sentence of three years, or minors whose remaining prison term was less than one year, according to Xinhua.

Those who were convicted of serious crimes are excluded. The amnesty would also not apply to criminals convicted of serious crimes, which include bribery or embezzlement, rape, terror activities, criminal syndicates and other violent offenses.

As a part of the commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the end of the World War II, the announcement of the amnesty was issued by the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee in August 2015.

The four categories of prisoners are deemed to pose "no threat to society," Li Shishi, director of the NPC Standing Committee's legislative affairs commission, told a bimonthly legislative session in August 2015.

Over 2.35 million prisoners got their case files and identifies checked by more than 2,500 investigation teams from national-level prisons before the amnesty was granted, Xinhua noted.

Citing parents of some juvenile criminals who obtained amnesty, Xinhua said that the move reflected the nation's care about the youth and can help save broken families by granting them hope.

Qin Qianhong, a constitutional law professor at Wuhan University, told the Global Times earlier that the act shows the Chinese government's confidence in its governance and legal system.

Wang Ping, a criminal law professor with the China University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times previously that the move is in line with the rule of law and will help promote the authority of the Constitution.

China has announced seven amnesties based on the Constitution since 1949. The previous amnesty mainly applied to war criminals. The most recent one was in 1975, in which 293 war criminals were pardoned.