China Expels Top General, Eight Other Officials in Corruption Probe
Beijing – China’s second-highest ranking general, He Weidong, and eight other senior officials have been expelled from the ruling Communist Party and the military on suspicion of serious misconduct linked to corruption, the Defense Ministry announced today.
He Weidong, vice-chair of the powerful Central Military Commission, is the most senior official targeted in an ongoing anti-graft drive within the Chinese military. The nine officials are suspected of “extremely serious crimes involving exceptionally large sums of money,” according to Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang in a statement. Their cases have been referred to military prosecutors for review and prosecution. This sweeping removal of high-ranking officials raises questions about the extent of corruption within the People’s Liberation Army and could impact military readiness.
He, who was elevated to the Central Military Commission in 2022, had not been seen in public for months, a common sign of trouble for Chinese officials. He also served on the Politburo, the second-highest Communist Party body. Among the other dismissed officials is Miao Hua, director of the Central Military Commission’s political work department, who was put under investigation last November. The Central Military Commission, chaired by Xi Jinping, is the top military body in China. As the Council on Foreign Relations explains, Xi Jinping has consolidated power through extensive purges and anti-corruption campaigns.
“The offenses) were of grave nature, with extremely harmful consequences,” Zhang said, without providing specific details. Eight of the nine removed officials were members of the party’s Central Committee, paving the way for replacements to be appointed at a major party meeting scheduled to begin in the coming days. Experts like Neil Thomas at the Asia Society Policy Institute suggest this move is also a strategic effort to solidify Xi Jinping’s control over the military, as detailed in a recent Reuters report.
Officials stated the cases have been handed over to military prosecutors for further investigation and potential prosecution.
