Recently, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authorities have been conducting large-scale purges within the military, particularly targeting the Rocket Force responsible for strategic operations. In a new development, a corruption scandal has emerged within the CCP’s Rocket Force, with relatives of former Rocket Force Deputy Commander Li Jun being publicly accused of amassing wealth through illicit means within the military.
On September 6th, a retired Rocket Force officer named Zhou Guangwei, holding his retirement certificate, revealed in a video report that Li Jun’s brother, Li Hong, allegedly engaged in significant corruption through his wife, Xie, by securing business deals for the Rocket Force and other units, accumulating wealth, and engaging in the buying and selling of military positions within the ranks.
The report detailed three main allegations against Li Hong:
Firstly, Li Hong allegedly controlled a company through his wife, Xie, to secure contracts for the Rocket Force and related units, leading to substantial financial gain. The whistleblower claimed to possess evidence of transactions totaling 6.96 million yuan involving Li Hong’s controlled company and the military.
Secondly, Li Hong himself was reportedly involved in buying and selling military positions within the Rocket Force, including directly recruiting soldiers into the forces, arranging promotions for officers, facilitating soldiers’ transfers between units, and engaging in irregular military exams.
Evidence provided by the whistleblower included transactions such as Li Hong receiving payments of 60,000 yuan for facilitating soldier transfers and 50,000 yuan transferred to Xie, as well as a 10,000 yuan payment made directly to Li Hong.
Thirdly, Li Hong allegedly expanded his influence within the military without holding an official position, leveraging his connections with senior officers, including commanding lower-ranking officers directly. Li Hong purportedly boasted about using others’ power for his benefit, without exerting his own efforts.
Public records indicate that Li Jun, originally from Hubei Province, previously served as a Senior Colonel at the 52nd Base of the Second Artillery Corps. He was promoted to the rank of Major General in 2010, later becoming the Commander of the 51st Base of the Second Artillery Corps in 2014. During the 2015 military parade, he led the Second Missile Brigade showcasing the Dongfeng-21 medium-range ballistic missile. In 2015, Li Jun assumed the role of Commander of the 56th Base of the Rocket Force (Unit 96351).
Subsequently, Li Jun was promoted to the position of Chief of Staff of the Rocket Force in 2017, further ascending to the rank of Lieutenant General in 2019. In 2020, he was appointed as the Deputy Commander of the Rocket Force, and later transferred to the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission as the Deputy Chief of Staff. In 2022, Li Jun was reassigned to the Joint Operations Command Center of the Central Military Commission, which serves as the highest strategic-level joint operations command structure, with Xi Jinping as the overall commander.
The exposure of corruption involving the relatives of Li Jun, Deputy Commander of the CCP’s Rocket Force, has sparked heated discussions online. Some netizens speculate that the recent whistleblower reports may be instigated by undisclosed parties, leading to speculation about internal power struggles within the military.
However, former CCP Navy Colonel and staff officer Yao Cheng expressed on the X platform (formerly Twitter) that it is commonplace for high-ranking officers’ relatives to engage in business dealings with the military and local entities. He argued that these actions are often condoned and that the current reporting channels may not yield significant results amid the ongoing military crackdown. Yao Cheng also noted that the consequences for the whistleblower might be severe, with the CCP likely resorting to allegations of rumor-mongering and defamation in handling the situation.
Since July of last year, CCP leader Xi Jinping has launched extensive purges within the military, focusing particularly on the Rocket Force (formerly known as the Second Artillery Corps) responsible for managing land-based nuclear and conventional ballistic missiles. Several top military leaders, including former Rocket Force Commanders Wei Fenghe, Zhou Yaning, and Li Yuchao, have been investigated for alleged misconduct. Additionally, individuals such as Lü Hong, former Director of Equipment at the Rocket Force, have also faced scrutiny. Dozens of CCP Rocket Force officials have been arrested or reportedly committed suicide amid these investigations.
In January of this year, Bloomberg reported insights from sources suggesting serious corruption within the CCP’s Rocket Force and the broader defense industry complex. According to one source, US intelligence assessments pointed out instances of corruption within the Chinese military, such as missiles being filled with water instead of fuel and deficiencies in missile launch facilities in western China.
These findings led US officials to conclude that internal corruption within the CCP’s military, particularly in the Rocket Force, has compromised its overall capabilities. The widespread nature of corruption has raised concerns about the CCP’s reduced likelihood of engaging in significant military actions in the future.