On December 30th 2023, a seismic shift rippled through China’s political and military landscape as nine high-ranking generals were summarily ousted – on the orders of General He Weidong – from the country’s premier legislative body, the National People’s Congress.

This move followed the “disappearance” of defence minister Li Shangfu, who was reported as being subject of anti-corruption investigations back in September 2023, and who has not been seen in public for some considerable time since.

This abrupt dismissal sent shockwaves through political corridors, raising eyebrows and triggering widespread speculation about the motives behind such a bold move.

General He Weidong

However, the fog began to lift on January 12th 2024 when General He Weidong, a stalwart figure within the Chinese military, and a Politburo member, along with his role as the vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, made a significant call for enhanced discipline and stricter oversight of influential officials.

His pronouncement aimed to spearhead a comprehensive crackdown on corruption within the ranks of China’s military establishment, marking a pivotal moment in the nation’s quest for greater transparency and accountability.

The backdrop to this development reveals a longstanding struggle with corruption within the Chinese military, a predicament that has persisted since the economic liberalisation initiatives of the 1970s.

James Char, a research fellow at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University specialising in the dynamics between the Communist Party and the military, underscored the persistent challenge of graft within the armed forces.

The annual expenditure of over a trillion yuan on the military, a substantial portion directed towards covert procurement transactions for national security reasons, has created a murky landscape lacking the transparency observed in other nations.

There has been much criticism of the quality of China’s military equipment.

Professor Euclides Tapia.

China’s unique governance structure, with the armed forces exclusively overseen by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), further exacerbates the opacity surrounding military affairs.

Unlike the scrutiny faced by the military establishments of many democratic nations, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) operates under the shroud of the CCP, shielding it from public accountability.

The focus on fortifying the PLA has been a central tenet of President Xi Jinping’s leadership since assuming office in 2012.

With a massive infusion of funds, Xi aimed to modernise the military, positioning it as a formidable force capable of rivaling the United States by 2027.

Former CMC deputy chairmen Xu Caihou in 2014 and Guo Boxiong in 2015 also fell prey to this campaign, underscoring Xi’s commitment to cleansing the military of pervasive corruption.

Xi Jinping’s conviction that a lack of civilian leadership intervention during the terms of his predecessors, Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin, allowed corruption to fester within the PLA.

This perceived drift from party oversight, a cornerstone identified by Mao, became a focal point for Xi in his quest to rejuvenate the military.

Recent revelations from US intelligence shed light on the motivations behind President Xi’s aggressive military purge.

Over the past six months, Xi has ousted over a dozen senior defence officials, a move prompted by the discovery of widespread corruption, spanning from the Rocket Force branch to the industrial base.

This corruption not only undermined efforts to modernise the armed forces but also raised serious questions about China’s preparedness for warfare.

Incredibly, US intelligence reported instances of missiles filled with water and intercontinental ballistic missile silos sporting malfunctioning lids, potentially jeopardising missile launches.

In the wake of these revelations, an ex-PLA official, speaking to Radio Free Asia, candidly admitted that such problems had been endemic in the Chinese military for an extended period.

He revealed shocking details, including the pilfering of solid fuel from rockets to cook hotpot, highlighting both the extent of corruption and the inadequate provision of basic supplies that has plagued the military for years.

As China grapples with the fallout of these revelations, General He Weidong’s call for discipline and oversight shows the sheer scale of the deep-seated inadequacies facing the country’s military establishment.

The urgency of the situation, underscored by the far-reaching consequences of corruption on the nation’s defence capabilities, demands swift and decisive action to restore integrity and fortify the People’s Liberation Army.

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Main image: By Staff Sgt. D. Myles Cullen (USAF), via Wikipedia.