On January 10, 2025, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission of China reported the anti-corruption situation in 2024, stating that 73 senior officials at the provincial and ministerial levels or above were investigated.
During the Third Plenary Session of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection in 2023, Li Xi, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China and Secretary of the Commission, reported that 87 mid-level officials were investigated in 2023.
The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China concluded on October 22, 2022. By December 31, 2022, 7 mid-level officials were investigated.
The Communist Party of China usually refers to corrupt officials in the mid-level management (including deputy-ministerial-level officials and other mid-level cadres) as “tigers”.
Adding up the numbers from the three instances mentioned above, a total of 167 “tigers” have been targeted since the 20th National Congress.
However, upon reviewing the Commission’s official website, it was found that only 58 mid-level officials were investigated in 2024, leaving 15 individuals unidentified. These 15 individuals likely are officials related to or within the military system.
Officials within the military system who have been investigated since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China are not always publicly reported by the Commission, sometimes it is done by the Ministry of National Defense or Xinhua News Agency. For instance, General Miao Hua, a member of the Central Military Commission and Director of the Political Work Department of the Military Commission, was suspended for suspected serious violations of discipline, as announced by the Ministry of National Defense on November 28, 2024.
In 2024, several high-ranking military officers were removed from their positions, such as General Li Zhizhong, General Deng Zhiping, General You Haitao, and General Li Pengcheng, for various disciplinary issues.
Furthermore, there were two military officials related to military equipment who were stripped of their positions as members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference in 2024.
These individuals, including Miao Hua and the others, totaling 7, were confirmed to have been investigated for serious violations and were likely among the 15 individuals who were not identified among those investigated by the Commission in 2024.
Several other high-ranking military officials are still unidentified and may include individuals such as General Li Qiaoming, General Qin Shutong, General Han Weiguo, General Lin Xiangyang, General Wang Chun Ning, General Qin Shengxiang, and General Yuan Huazhi, who have been rumored to have been investigated.
The investigation of senior military leaders since the 20th Party Congress has been first reported overseas before being confirmed by the Chinese authorities, indicating a level of secrecy and complexity in the process.
Additionally, there is still one unidentified individual worth mentioning, like Zhang Kejian, who was recently stripped of his positions as Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Director of the National Space Administration.
Similarly, Xu Dazhe and Zhang Hongwen are also individuals whose absence from official meetings and conferences has raised suspicions about their status and potential investigations.
A total of 167 officials have been formally investigated for corruption since the 20th Party Congress, indicating an ongoing and expansive anti-corruption campaign within the Communist Party of China.
Despite the party’s efforts to tackle corruption, there is a growing concern that the campaign itself might exacerbate existing power struggles within the party, leading to potential internal turmoil and divisions.
The complexity of the anti-corruption drive, specifically within the military and related industries, highlights the uncertain and challenging landscape facing the Chinese leadership as they continue their efforts to combat corruption within the party.
In conclusion, the relentless anti-corruption campaign within the Chinese Communist Party, spanning from the 20th National Congress to the present, poses significant challenges and potential risks to the party’s stability and governance structure.
The ongoing struggle against corruption may not only intensify internal power struggles but also reveal deeper-seated issues within the party’s leadership, raising concerns about the future trajectory of China’s political landscape.