BEIJING, Sept 11 (AFP) - Chinese soldiers stationed in Tibet will receive a substantial wage rise from October this year in recognition of their services in a hardship post, the Liberation Army Daily reported Wednesday.

The newspaper did not specify the size of the increase, but said it meant troops posted to Tibet would have an average salary 2.5 times that of their counterparts in other regions and provinces.

The increase was approved by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) central party committee, which was "very concerned" about the welfare of troops in Tibet, the report said.

Salaries are generally higher in Tibet for everyone from teachers to factory workers.

Critics say the extra cash is a ploy by the government to encourage more ethnic Han Chinese who make up the vast majority in China to migrate to the region and thus dilute the indigenous Tibetan population.