Chinese President Xi Jinping has fired General "Number Two" He Weidong in the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA) as part of the fight against corruption in the army. This is the first dismissal of such a high-ranking official in six decades, UNN writes with reference to Financial Times.
Details
It is reported that General He Weidong was removed from his post in recent weeks. In addition to being the second-ranking officer in the PLA, Weidong is also a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party.
The removal of He Weidong came after Xi removed Miao Hua, one of the six senior officials of the Central Military Commission (CMC), from office six months ago for "serious violations of discipline." This term is usually used to refer to corruption in the Chinese armed forces.
Although the Chinese government has not made an official statement, several sources report that General Weidong has been detained and questioned, possibly in a corruption case. He has not appeared at public events recently, raising questions about his position.
Experts believe that Xi Jinping is trying to make sure that the military is loyal to the Communist Party and ready to accept global challenges. Neil Thomas, an expert on China, said: "This shows how seriously Xi takes the fight against corruption in the army."
In the past two years, President Xi has fired several senior military leaders, including two heads of the PLA's missile forces, which control part of China's nuclear weapons, and two former defense ministers, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu. All of them were reportedly fired for corruption.
Xi Jinping vows to step up fight against corruption in China09.01.24, 05:38
Other senior officials have also been dismissed recently, including former Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who was once considered close to Xi Jinping. These moves have led some to believe that instability may be growing in China's leadership.
The dismissal of General Weidong comes at a time when China is facing other serious challenges, including economic problems and growing tensions with the United States. In such times, maintaining unity and control over the armed forces becomes even more important for Chinese leaders.
Last year, there were reports that the current Minister of Defense, Dong Jun, was also under investigation. However, sources now say that he has been acquitted. He recently met with the head of the Pakistan Air Force in Beijing.
The Chinese government has not yet commented on the situation with General Weidong, which leaves many questions about what will happen next in this high-level anti-corruption campaign.
Addition
China has launched an investigation into its defense minister in connection with the latest corruption scandal to hit the top ranks of the country's People's Liberation Army.
Former Vice President of Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd. (ICBC) Zhang Hongli was sentenced to death with a reprieve for accepting bribes.
China first launched a corruption investigation into Zhang, a former vice president of ICBC, in late 2023. Later, in May last year, he was arrested and charged with bribery.