Former Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe, who was previously rumored to be involved in a missile force corruption case, recently appeared in a report by the CCP party media, drawing attention by jointly sending wreaths to former senior officials.
On May 6th, the body of former Vice Chairman of the National People’s Congress, Wu Yunqimuge, was cremated at the Babaoshan Cemetery in Beijing. Wei Fenghe’s name appeared in the footage broadcasted by CCTV.
The footage showed Wei Fenghe, along with Dai Bingguo, Chang Wanquan, Zhao Kexi, and other former State Councilors, jointly sending a wreath to Wu Yunqimuge. Wei Fenghe’s name appeared after Chang Wanquan’s.
Wei Fenghe, born in 1954 in Shandong, served in the Second Artillery Corps for a long time. On November 23, 2012, Xi Jinping became the first general to be promoted after serving as the Commander of the Second Artillery Corps, which was commanded by Wei Fenghe at the time.
At the end of 2015, Wei Fenghe became the first Commander of the CCP Rocket Force; at the CCP’s 19th National Congress in October 2017, Wei Fenghe was promoted to the Central Military Commission; in March 2018 during the CCP’s Two Sessions, Wei Fenghe was appointed as a State Councilor and Minister of National Defense. At the CCP’s 20th National Congress in October 2022, Wei Fenghe stepped down from the Central Military Commission; in March 2023, he relinquished the positions of State Councilor and Minister of National Defense.
After the CCP’s 20th National Congress, Xi Jinping began cleaning up the military once again. Since last year, a large number of senior officials in the CCP’s military and military-industrial complex have been taken down, including former Rocket Force commanders Li Yuchao and Zhou Yaning, as well as Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu.
Rumors of Wei Fenghe being investigated, who once served as the first Commander of the Rocket Force, have never stopped. On August 31, 2023, the CCP’s Ministry of National Defense responded for the first time to foreign media inquiries about the whereabouts of former Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe. The military spokesperson Wu Qian only stated, “We need to fight against every corrupt official,” and “the fight against corruption is always ongoing.”
In 2023, Wei Fenghe was absent from the CCP’s “eleven” banquet. On January 29 of this year, a New Year’s cultural performance to honor old military leaders was held in Beijing by the CCP’s Military Commission, and Wei Fenghe was also not seen on CCTV. On February 7, Wei Fenghe was missing from the list of visits by Xi Jinping to “visit” retired officials at or above the deputy ministerial level during the Lunar New Year, leading to speculation that something might have happened to Wei Fenghe.
This recent appearance of Wei Fenghe on CCTV by sending wreaths to former senior officials may indicate that he may have emerged from the whirlpool of rumors, according to some Hong Kong media reports.
Political commentator Li Lin believes that based on past practices of the CCP, a missing official “reappearing” does not necessarily mean everything is fine. However, it is also possible that Wei Fenghe, like previously rumored corrupt military officials such as Liao Xilong, handed over bribes in exchange for safety, which aligns with the authorities’ current approach of using anti-corruption measures to address financial difficulties.