On July 21, the Chinese Communist Party’s “People’s Liberation Army Daily” published an article stating that the Central Military Commission recently issued the “Several Provisions on the Comprehensive Clearing of Toxic Influences and Reshaping the Image and Prestige of Political Cadres.” The “provisions” consist of 7 aspects and 22 articles, with the aim of “gaining the trust of officers and soldiers.”
So, how should we view the CCP’s military’s “comprehensive clearing of toxic influences”? Let’s discuss my opinions on this regulation from three perspectives.
Since the 18th National Congress of the CCP, the military has carried out several campaigns to clear toxic influences. First, there was the clearing of the toxic influence of Xu Caihou (former member of the CCP’s Politburo and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission), followed by the clearing of Xu Caihou and Guo Boxiong’s (former member of the CCP’s Politburo and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission) toxic influence. Later on, it extended to clearing the toxic influence of Xu Caihou, Guo Boxiong, Zhang Yang (former member of the Central Military Commission and Director of the Political Work Department of the Military Commission), and Fang Fenghui (former member of the Central Military Commission and Chief of the Joint Staff Department).
This time, whose toxic influence is being comprehensively cleared? The “provisions” mentioned above did not name names. Why didn’t they name specific individuals? I think there may be three possible reasons:
First, the list of senior generals investigated and publicized since the 20th Congress of the CCP is too long, including Li Shangfu, Wei Fenghe, commanders of the Rocket Force, Ding Laihang, Miao Hua, etc.
Second, the list of senior generals investigated and not yet publicized may be even longer. The names that have been leaked overseas include prominent figures such as He Weidong, He Hongjun, Wang Houbin, Lin Xiangyang, Wang Xiubin, Wang Chunning, Zhang Hongbing, Han Weiguo, Qin Shutong, Qin Shengxiang, Yuan Huazhi, etc.
Third, there is another senior general who has been investigated and is partially disclosed, Liu Yazhou, the daughter’s husband of former CCP leader Li Xiannian. Though not explicitly reported by official party media like Xinhua, the CCP media “Red Culture Net” has published articles directly criticizing Liu Yazhou as a “typical schemer and ambitious person.” There were even reports of a notice issued to remove “harmful information” related to Liu Yazhou in Taiyuan, involving the cleaning of books, newspapers, journals, articles, speeches, audio-visual products, etc.
Liu Yazhou has had significant interactions with former CCP leaders such as Deng Xiaoping, Li Xiannian, and Jiang Zemin, and his influence within and outside the military, as well as domestically and internationally, is significant. It is not fair to classify all his work as “toxic.”
The first senior military officer investigated and charged under Xi Jinping’s leadership was Xu Caihou, former member of the CCP’s Politburo and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission.
After Xu Caihou’s investigation, who assisted Xi Jinping in clearing Xu Caihou’s toxic influence within the military? It was Zhang Yang, Deputy Director of the General Political Department of the Military Commission promoted by Xu Caihou, who also concurrently served as the head of the military’s education reform leadership group and the leader of the military in implementing the spirit of the Gutian Conference.
Was Zhang Yang’s approach to clearing Xu Caihou’s influence resolute? From his public statements, it appears so. It has been noted that Zhang Yang publicly criticized Xu Caihou at least 13 times.
On September 21, 2014, Zhang Yang published a signed article in the “People’s Liberation Army Daily” titled “Guiding Military Political Work with the Latest Achievements of the Party’s Military Theory.” In it, he mentioned, “Use cases like Xu Caihou and Gu Junshan to strengthen warning education, guide Party members and cadres to regard the ‘Three Stricts and Three Earnests’ as the code of conduct, set an example in strengthening Party spirit, correct use of power, strictly follow discipline, maintain clean external exchanges, nurture good family values, and win the trust of officers and soldiers with personal charm, leading the troops with integrity.”
On October 27, 2014, the military procuratorate concluded its investigation into Xu Caihou’s bribery case and transferred it for trial. Nine days later, the General Political Department held an enlarged party committee meeting.
At the meeting, Zhang Yang stated, “The leadership of the General Political Department, departments, and every cadre must thoroughly reflect on the painful lessons of the Xu Caihou case with a serious attitude, completely eliminate the negative impact caused by the case, ruthlessly rectify problems, strictly enforce discipline, and effectively establish a good image for political work departments.”
On January 26, 2015, during a teleconference on political and legal work in the military, Zhang Yang said, “Grasping firmly the forging of military spirits, fulfilling duties responsibly, maintaining the ideological purity of the troops, thoroughly eliminating the impact of the Xu Caihou case, strictly enforcing political discipline and rules, and actively engaging in ideological struggles in the field of ideology.”
In September 2015, the General Political Department held an educational exhibition on military discipline under the theme of “learning from past lessons.”
When visiting the exhibition, Zhang Yang said, “Always maintain a high-pressure stance of ‘not yielding an inch and thoroughly grasping the key issues,’ firmly continue with the rectification and cleansing, thoroughly eliminating the toxic influences from the cases of Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou.”
From January 2015 to January 2016, Zhang Yang, as the head of the Military Education Reform Leadership Group, criticized Xu Caihou at six meetings of the leadership group.
In May 2015, August 2016, and January 2017, Zhang Yang, as the leader of the Military Implementation Group in implementing the Gutian Political Work Conference, criticized Xu Caihou at three group meetings.
For example, at the meeting on August 26, 2016, Zhang Yang stated, “Especially focusing on leaders, further carry out thorough self-criticism, fostering hatred emotionally and breaking political ties, clearly distinguishing the circles, behaviors, routines, and atmosphere associated with Guo and Xu. Emphasize cleaning up hidden bad practices in ideological behavior, not only rectifying specific issues but also addressing the root causes, thoroughly clearing the remaining toxic residue from Guo and Xu by thoroughly understanding right from wrong and clearing up ideological contamination.”
What is the true face of Zhang Yang, who vocally demanded the comprehensive clearing of Xu Caihou and Guo Boxiong’s influence?
On November 28, 2017, Xinhua reported that on August 28, 2017, the Central Military Commission decided to hold an organizational conversation with Zhang Yang, former member of the Central Military Commission and Director of the Political Work Department of the Military Commission, to investigate and verify the clues regarding issues related to Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou, among others. Following the investigation and verification, it was found that Zhang Yang seriously violated disciplines and laws, and was suspected of involvement in bribery, illicit gains, and unclear sources of immense wealth. Throughout the organizational conversation, Zhang Yang stayed at home. On the morning of November 23, Zhang Yang was found dead by hanging in his residence.
On the same day, the “People’s Liberation Army Daily” published a commentary article stating, “Zhang Yang committed suicide due to fear! This once high-ranking general ended his life in a shameful manner. As a senior member of the Party and the military, he lost his ideals, party principles, respect for discipline, and moral bottom line, showing two faces – disloyal and dishonest, corrupt in politics, and ‘two-faced.'”
Nearly a year after Zhang Yang’s death, on October 16, 2018, Xinhua announced that Zhang Yang had been expelled from the Party, the military, and stripped of his rank as a senior general. The announcement read, “Zhang Yang was disloyal and dishonest to the Party, engaged in double-dealing and was politically duplicitous, economically greedy, ethically corrupt, and did not repent or restrain himself after the 18th National Congress of the CCP.”
Liu Yuan, the son of former CCP national leader Liu Shaoqi, said in an interview with the “The Beijing News,” “Zhang Yang’s problems are more serious than Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou. Zhang Yang was involved in significant cases. As the head of the Political Department, he had ‘all five vices.'”
Zhang Yang’s efforts to clear Xu Caihou’s influence may have seemed effective on the surface through meetings, issuing documents, articles, regulations, and targeting individuals, but in reality, it was just lip service.
Today, the CCP has proposed the “Several Provisions on the Comprehensive Clearing of Toxic Influences and Reshaping the Image and Prestige of Political Cadres” in the military, signaling significant issues in political work within the military. Typically, after the promulgation of such provisions, a few individuals are targeted to set an example.
However, looking at the succession of issues involving senior CCP military officials from Xu Caihou to Zhang Yang, Miao Hua, and He Weidong, it is evident that the existing mechanism for holding party officials accountable for personnel decisions and supervision has fundamental flaws. Despite the issuance of numerous regulations by the Central Military Commission, the comprehensive clearing of toxic influences and gaining the trust of officers and soldiers seems unattainable unless the root causes are addressed.
The key to gaining the trust of officers and soldiers lies in transparency.
The severe disciplinary and legal issues of the senior generals investigated since the 20th Congress of the CCP have been kept completely under wraps, demonstrating a lack of trust in officers and soldiers.
The specifics of the serious disciplinary and legal transgressions of former Rocket Force commander Li Yuchao and other senior generals, along with the timing of their investigations, arrests, and judicial proceedings remain undisclosed by the CCP authorities, making it challenging to clear their toxic influence.
When Xu Caihou fell from grace, the “People’s Liberation Army Daily” published several articles criticizing the harm he had caused to the military. For instance, an article published on March 18, 2015, titled “Elevating Thinking through Rectification of Ideas,” stated that Xu Caihou had significantly damaged the construction of the military over his tenure, disrupting the troops’ thinking, morale, and discipline. His actions caused considerable damage to the party and military image and to the values of officers and soldiers.
Who promoted and favored Xu Caihou? It was then Central Military Commission Chairman Jiang Zemin. Therefore, Jiang Zemin bears the most significant and irreplaceable leadership responsibility for promoting Xu Caihou, a severely corrupt individual, and for negligently supervising his actions.
However, to this day, Jiang Zemin has not been held accountable for his correct actions under party discipline and the law. Instead, even after Jiang’s passing, he has been lauded by the highest authorities of the CCP. How can the military clear Xu Caihou’s toxic influence in this manner?
Who promoted the senior generals investigated post the 20th Congress of the CCP, and who failed to supervise their serious corruption issues?
Do these senior officials have any self-criticism for improper personnel appointments, serious neglect in supervision, and have their leadership and legal responsibilities been examined by anyone? If not, how can the military “comprehensively clear the toxic influences”?
The essence of gaining trust lies in getting to the root of the issues and rectifying them.
Why do we see figures like Zhang Yang, Miao Hua, He Weidong crop up after the investigations into Xu Caihou, Guo Boxiong, Zhang Yang, and Fang Fenghui? Why, after dealing with the cases of Xu, Guo, Zhang, and Fang, do we see issues related to Miao Hua and He Weidong?
Xi Jinping has said, “Corruption among officials is the most severe form of corruption.” Who bears the ultimate responsibility for official corruption?
None of these high-ranking officials who promoted these severely corrupt individuals have engaged in self-criticism, acknowledged their mishandling of personnel appointments, or taken responsibility for their supervision failures. How can officers and soldiers trust leaders who shirk accountability?
These unresolved issues make gaining the trust of officers and soldiers mere rhetoric.
The recent issuance of the “Several Provisions on the Comprehensive Clearing of Toxic Influences and Reshaping the Image and Prestige of Political Cadres” by the Central Military Commission simply highlights significant problems in military political work. Following the customary practice, after regulations are enacted, a few unlucky individuals are likely to be targeted as an example.
However, considering the continuous problems involving senior CCP military officials from Xu Caihou to Zhang Yang, Miao Hua, He Weidong, despite the issuance of numerous regulations, the comprehensive clearing of toxic influences and gaining the trust of officers and soldiers seems unattainable unless the foundational flaws in the CCP’s mechanisms for rectifying and controlling officials are addressed.
[Translation and rewrite completed]