Yuanyue Dangin BeijingandLiu Zhen
China’s second-ranked military general has become the latest in a series of top brass to come under investigation for corruption, China’s Ministry of National Defence announced on Friday.
He Weidong, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and a member of the 24-man Politburo, was expelled from the Communist Party and the army, the ministry said.
He is the first serving member of the present Politburo, the Communist Party’s top decision-making body, to face such an investigation.
He Weidong was vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission and a member of the 24-man Politburo. Photo: Xinhua
In a rare instance of a voluntary public release, ministry spokesman Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang said nine senior military officials had been investigated and punished.
“Upon investigation, it has been determined that these nine individuals seriously violated party discipline and allegedly committed grave duty-related crimes. The amounts involved are particularly huge, the nature of the offences extremely severe, and the impact is exceptionally negative,” Zhang told a regular media briefing on Friday.
In addition to He, the subjects of investigation include: Miao Hua, former member of the CMC in charge of the military’s political, ideology and personnel work; He Hongjun, Miao’s deputy and former executive; and Wang Xiubin, former executive deputy director of the CMC Joint Operations Command Centre.
Miao Hua. Photo: Handout
Lin Xiangyang, former commander of the Eastern Theatre Command; Qin Shutong, former political commissar of the army; Yuan Huazhi, former political commissar of the navy; Wang Houbin, former commander of the Rocket Force; and Wang Chunning, former commander of the People’s Armed Police Force were also being investigated.
He Weidong is the third CMC member to be removed since the existing line-up took office in 2022.
“The serious investigation and punishment of He Weidong, Miao Hua, He Hongjun, and others once again demonstrates the firm determination of the Party’s Central Committee and the Central Military Commission to carry the fight against corruption through to the end. It highlights a clear stance that there is no place for corrupted officials to hide within the military,” Zhang said.
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