China's Communist Party expels two former defence ministers for corruption
- In Reports
- 10:06 PM, Jun 27, 2024
- Myind Staff
The governing Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has expelled former Defence Minister Li Shangfu, who was sacked last year after going missing, and his predecessor as part of an anti-corruption crackdown, according to state media.
Li was dismissed as defence minister in October, two months after he vanished from public view. He held the position for only seven months. No explanation was provided for his abrupt removal, which briefly disrupted efforts to revitalise US-China defence dialogues.
On Thursday, Chinese state media Xinhua reported that Li and Wei Fenghe, another former defence minister, had been expelled from the CCP for “serious violation of party discipline and the law”. The accusations against the two men include accepting gifts and money and facilitating improper benefits for others.
Li was suspected of receiving "huge sums of money" in bribes as well as bribing others, and an investigation found he "did not fulfill political responsibilities" and "sought personnel benefits for himself and others", the report said, citing the Communist Party's Central Committee which ordered the investigation.
"As a senior leading cadre of the party and the army, Li Shangfu betrayed his original mission ... betrayed the trust of the Party Central Committee and Central Military Commission... and caused great damage to the party cause and national defence," the report said.
Wei served as defence minister immediately before Li, holding the position since 2018. Prior to that, he led the rocket force, a critical branch of the military responsible for China’s nuclear arsenal. Wei had also largely withdrawn from public appearances.
Wei, who retired as defence minister in 2023 after five years in office, was accused of accepting money and gifts in violation of the rules and taking advantage of his post to seek benefits for others, accepting money and valuables in return, according to Xinhua.
The allegations stem from a months-long investigation by the Central Military Commission.
State media reported that Li's and Wei's cases would be transferred to the military's prosecutorial branch for criminal charges.
China's military has been undergoing a comprehensive anti-corruption campaign since last year, resulting in the removal of eleven PLA generals and several executives from the aerospace defence industry from the national legislative body so far.
In December, three senior aerospace and defence industry executives were removed from a top CCP advisory body.
Qin Gang, a former foreign minister who has not been seen in public for a year, was also sacked without explanation last year after a brief stint in office.
President Xi Jinping, who is also a party leader and heads the armed forces as chairman of the Central Military Commission, has made the fight against corruption a hallmark of his rule since taking power more than a decade ago.
However, the numerous purges last year have raised questions about the effectiveness of the anti-corruption campaign. Some senior figures who were removed, such as Li, Wei, and Qin, were appointed with Xi's approval.
Those purged from the senior ranks of the CCP may face political and social exile for the remainder of their lives, or they could encounter severe criminal penalties. Last month, a court sentenced Bai Tianhui, former general manager of China Huarong International Holdings, a bank, to death for accepting bribes exceeding 1.1 billion yuan (£110 million).
The military purge is believed to be connected to an investigation launched last year into corruption in military procurement. Li headed the equipment procurement department from 2017 to 2022.
The expulsions of Li and Wei will be formally confirmed during the CCP's central committee's long-delayed third plenum next month. It was announced on Thursday that the meeting of top CCP leaders will be held from 15th to 18th July.
Image source: AP
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