3 hours ago
6
November 27, 2024 | 06:06 pm
TEMPO.CO, Beijing - China Defense Minister Dong Jun has been placed under investigation as part of a wide-ranging anti-corruption probe that has roiled the top ranks of the People's Liberation Army, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.
Dong is the third consecutive serving or former Chinese defense minister to be investigated for alleged corruption, the FT reported, citing current and former U.S. officials.
When asked about the FT report at a daily press briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said it was "chasing shadows."
China's defense ministry did not immediately reply to Reuters requests for comment.
China's military has undergone a sweeping anti-corruption purge since last year, with at least nine PLA generals and a handful of defense industry executives removed from the national legislative body to date.
Dong, a former PLA Navy chief, was appointed defense minister in December 2023. His predecessor, Li Shangfu, was removed after seven months into the job.
Dong last week declined to meet U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a meeting of defense ministers in Laos, citing U.S. actions over Taiwan, a move the Pentagon chief said on Wednesday was unfortunate.
As defense minister, Dong is responsible for China's military diplomacy with other nations. He oversaw a recent thaw in U.S.-China military-to-military ties, with both nations holding theatre-level commander talks for the first time in September.
But he was not promoted to the six-member Central Military Commission (CMC), China's highest-level military body, during a major Communist Party plenum earlier this year, where personnel reshuffles would normally be announced.
China's defense minister has traditionally been a member of both the CMC, which is headed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, and the State Council, China’s cabinet-level executive body.
Dong was not appointed to the State Council either during a government reshuffle in March.
"Frankly, nothing would surprise me anymore," said Dennis Wilder, a professor at Georgetown University and former U.S. intelligence analyst.
"The history with these investigations in the PLA is that once the string of corruption is pulled, many other threads are revealed and the sweater unravels."
Dong's two immediate predecessors, Li and Wei Fenghe, were expelled from the Communist Party in June for "serious violations of discipline," a euphemism for corruption.
A Communist Party statement at the time said the pair "betrayed the trust of the party and the Central Military Commission, seriously polluted the political environment of the military, and caused great damage to ... the image of its senior leaders."
The pair were also found to have received huge sums of money in bribes and sought to provide "personnel benefits" for others, the statement said, such as promotions or higher rankings in the military.
Reuters exclusively reported last year that Li was under investigation for suspected corruption in military procurement.
Wei had disappeared from public view after he was replaced in March 2023 during a planned cabinet reshuffle. Wei was head of the strategic People's Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force from 2015-17.
REUTERS | Laurie Chen
Editor’s Choice: China Adds 8 European Countries as Visa-Free Recipients
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
China Could Launch Military Drills Near Taiwan over President's Pacific Visit, Sources Say
1 jam lalu
China may launch military drills in the coming days near Taiwan, using President Lai Ching-te's upcoming trip to the Pacific and scheduled U.S. transi
AGO Denies Criminalizing Tom Lembong in Sugar Import Case
7 jam lalu
After winning the pretrial motion, the Attorney General's Office claimed that the case of Tom Lembong is not a criminalization.
China Sends Naval, Air Forces to Shadow US Plane Over Taiwan Strait
18 jam lalu
China's military said on Tuesday it deployed naval and air forces to monitor and warn a U.S. Navy patrol aircraft that flew through the Taiwan Strait.
Myanmar Rebel Army Ready for Dialogue with Junta
1 hari lalu
TNLA announced readiness to negotiate with Myanmar's military junta after a year of resistance.
China Adds 8 European Countries as Visa-Free Recipients
1 hari lalu
Visa-free policy aimed to increase the number of people entering China for business and tourism.
Taiwan Reports Sighting of Chinese Balloon, First Time in Six Months
2 hari lalu
Taiwan views the balloon as part of a pattern of harassment by Beijing.
South Korea and Malaysia Enhance Defense Cooperation
2 hari lalu
South Korea offers Malaysia a new fighter jet contract after North Korea and Russia strengthen defense cooperation.
Today's Top 3 News: 8 Best Cities to Visit in Indonesia, Gorgeous Alternatives to Bali
4 hari lalu
Here is the list of the top 3 news on Tempo English today.
Rice Production by Country 2023/2024, India Places 2nd
5 hari lalu
Dominated by Asian countries, this article explores the list of rice production by country with a total of 430 million metric tons in 2023/2024.
Economists Find Unrecorded Garment Imports from China Worth Rp4.2tn
6 hari lalu
Economists uncovered a discrepancy in the recorded imports of garment and textile products from China to Indonesia between 2004 and June 2024.
