Proof that the purges within the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) are not only not over but are intensifying, China announced on Thursday, November 28, the suspension of one of the country’s highest military officials, under the blow of an investigation for “serious violations of discipline”, that is to say for corruption. Admiral Miao Hua, one of the five members of the Central Military Commission – not including its chairman, Xi Jinping himself – was director of political work. In this capacity, he had responsibility for personnel, loyalty and ideological righteousness within the largest army in the world, which depends directly on the Communist Party.
His fall comes eighteen months after the launch of a disciplinary operation during which more than a dozen senior officers and executives of public groups in the defense sector were arrested, many of whom are linked to the strategic force, responsible for missiles and nuclear deterrence.
Expelled from the Communist Party
This procedure notably took away a defense minister, Li Shangfu, invisible since August 2023, then dismissed in October 2023, just seven months after his appointment, as well as his predecessor, Wei Fenghe. The latter had been the commander of the missile force from 2012 to 2017, Li Shangfu had overseen PLA purchases from 2017 to 2022. Both were expelled from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) this summer.
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The PCC disciplinary commission also announced on Wednesday the placement under investigation of the head of the Pudong zone, the huge eastern half of the city of Shanghai, where the financial district is located. However, Zhu Zhisong, before these responsibilities in the largest Chinese city, had spent two decades in the missile and aerospace sector at the heart of investigations.
On Thursday, Wu Qian, the same spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense who announced the dismissal of Admiral Miao, on the other hand vehemently denied the fall of Dong Jun, the current Minister of Defense after less than a year in his post, mentioned Wednesday by the Financial Times. « Pure fabrication »dismissed the spokesperson. But when asked by a reporter who the current defense minister was, Wu replied: “Why are you asking me this question that makes no sense? I have said it many times, Minister Dong Jun. »
Dismantle certain factions
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