Amid frequent reports of corruption within the Communist Party’s military-industrial complex, Zhang Kejian, who was previously investigated and relieved of his position as the Party Secretary of the State Administration for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense of the CCP last month, was removed from his positions, including Minister of Industry and Information Technology, on January 10.
On January 10, the State Council of the CCP appointed Shand Zhongde, Deputy Minister of Industry and Information Technology, as the Director of the National Space Administration, Director of the National Atomic Energy Agency, and Director of the National Administration of Defense Science, Technology, and Industry; and revoked Zhang Kejian’s positions as Deputy Minister of Industry and Information Technology, Director of the National Space Administration, Director of the National Atomic Energy Agency, and Director of the National Administration of Defense Science, Technology, and Industry.
Although Zhang Kejian, aged 63, has reached the retirement age for deputy minister level officials, his absence from public view for several months due to the sensitive period in the anti-corruption campaign within the military system continues to draw attention.
At the end of October last year, both Zhang Kejian and Lei Fanpei, Executive Vice Chairman of the Central Military-Civil Fusion Development Committee (at the ministerial level), were absent from a major conference of provincial and ministerial level leaders, and also did not attend the Central Economic Work Conference in December. During the same period, rumors circulated online about Zhang Kejian being investigated. He was relieved of his position as Secretary of the Party Committee of the National Administration of Defense Science, Technology, and Industry last month.
Zhang Kejian’s superior, Minister of Industry and Information Technology, Jin Zhuanglong, who also comes from a military-industrial background, sparked speculation of being implicated in the anti-corruption campaign by missing the recent meeting of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.
Since 2023, the ongoing investigations stemming from corruption cases within the Chinese Communist Party’s rocket forces and equipment systems have resulted in continued purges within the military ranks, with dozens of senior officers and top executives of military-industrial enterprises being removed from their positions – many without public announcement. At a large-scale meeting of the CCP’s Military Discipline Inspection Commission held on the 10th, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, He Weidong, stressed the ongoing strict measures against corruption.
Dr. Shen Mingshi, Associate Professor at the Strategic Studies Institute of Tamkang University in Taiwan, previously told Dajiyuan that in the past, the Chinese Communist Party had the National Defense Science and Technology Commission, which spanned across the State Council and the military. Later on, the National Defense Science and Technology Commission was transformed into the National Administration of Defense Science, Technology, and Industry under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. While it is just an administrative unit at the bureau level, it is responsible for the research and development of the CCP’s military equipment, exports, technology transfer, and more. Given that its leaders come from military-industrial enterprises, corruption issues are likely to arise within the military-industrial complex concerning military research and development and the utilization of funds.