On the eve of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Xinhua News Agency published a lengthy article summarizing the “achievements in national defense and military reform” since the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee. The article aimed to praise the CCP leader’s accomplishments, yet it conspicuously ignored the highly touted “major achievement” of anti-corruption. Since the 18th National Congress of the CCP, a wave of senior military leaders has been purged due to corruption. Observers believe that the exposure of this corruption post-18th National Congress is a self-defeating move by the authorities, and even the party media now dares not mention it.
Anti-corruption has always been regarded as a “major achievement” since Xi Jinping came to power. On June 27, both former Defense Ministers, Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe, were expelled from the party, the military, and referred to military prosecutors for investigation. Over the past decade, more than a hundred senior military leaders within the CCP have fallen, including 6 members of the Central Military Commission, among them two former Vice Chairmen of the CMC and two former Defense Ministers. However, the lengthy article published by Xinhua on July 2 about the achievements of national defense and military reform since the 18th Third Plenary Session made no mention of the anti-corruption situation.
On July 4, Radio France Internationale questioned why such a significant achievement was not mentioned at all in Xinhua’s lengthy article. If since the 18th Third Plenary Session of the CCP, under Xi Jinping’s leadership, a “new era of reform in strengthening the military” has been established, could this “new era” possibly be unrelated to the removal of numerous senior corrupt military leaders within the army?
Su Ziyun, Director of the Institute of Strategic Studies and Resources for Taiwan’s National Defense Security, told Dajiyuan on July 5 that the upcoming 20th Third Plenary Session is expected to discuss a retrospective of so-called military reform in the official report. However, it will definitely avoid discussing the anti-corruption part to prevent affecting morale. Especially with the recent downfall of the last two Defense Ministers due to corruption, it would be unfavorable to address it during the Third Plenary Session, hence the deliberate silence in official media.
Commentator Zhong Yuan told Dajiyuan that with the removal of Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe before the Third Plenary Session, on the surface, this issue appears resolved, and the handling at the Third Plenary Session will be merely perfunctory. Corruption is ultimately a major disgrace within the military; therefore, anti-corruption cannot be portrayed as an achievement. Especially after the claimed overwhelming victory in anti-corruption, the downfall of Li Shangfu, Wei Fenghe, as well as a large number of senior officials from the Rocket Force, Equipment Department, and military-industrial enterprises, would only lead to the authorities contradicting themselves by labeling it as an “achievement.”
Xinhua’s lengthy article mentioned the establishment of the Information Support Force on April 19, with Xi Jinping awarding it a military flag, calling it a “reform for strengthening the military” and another significant moment “loaded with history.” The article also noted that the Rocket Force continues to strengthen its capability for both nuclear and conventional deterrence, marking a major step in Xi Jinping’s “reform for strengthening the military.”
Since the 20th National Congress of the CCP, the Rocket Force has suffered significant blows, with senior leaders being accused of being “holding the whole pot.” Several high-ranking officials within the Rocket Force, including two Commanders-in-Chief, Li Yuchao and Zhou Yaning, the Deputy Commander of the Rocket Force Li Chuanguang, the former Minister of the Rocket Force Equipment Department Major General Lv Hong, and former Deputy Commander of the Rocket Force Lieutenant General Zhang Zhenzhong were disqualified from the National People’s Congress at the end of last year. Finally, the first Commander of the Rocket […continued in next message]