"There is no place for corruption to hide in the military. The fight against corruption in the forces must continue," President Xi Jinping stated today, during a session with delegates from the military and armed police at the 4th session of the 14th National People's Congress, China's parliament.
Xi emphasized the need to fully leverage the unique strengths in strengthening political loyalty of the Chinese military, and called for coordinated efforts to steadily and sustainably advance the modernization of China's national defense and armed forces.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping during the session on 7/3. Photo: *Xinhua*. |
The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body, on 2/3 voted to revoke the membership of three former military generals: Han Weiguo, Liu Lei, and Gao Xin.
General Han Weiguo previously served as commander of the Chinese army. Generals Liu Lei and Gao Xin also held high-ranking positions in the military. The three individuals were absent from the 14th CPPCC session late last year.
The CPPCC also voted to dismiss two more members and strip 10 individuals of their delegate status. China's parliament on 26/2 dismissed 19 delegates, including 9 military officials, but did not state the reasons.
In recent years, China has launched an anti-corruption campaign at various levels, with the military being one of the key focuses.
China's Ministry of National Defense announced late january that it was investigating Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia and Chief of the Joint Staff Department Liu Zhenli for "serious violations of discipline and law," a phrase commonly used to refer to corrupt behavior.
Beijing has not released details of the allegations against Zhang and Liu. PLA Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese military, published several editorials accusing the two of "seriously trampling upon and undermining the system of ultimate responsibility that belongs to the Central Military Commission Chairman."
Nguyen Tien (According to Xinhua, AP, Reuters)
