Xi sends warning to ‘corrupt elements’ in Chinese army

Beijing has initiated an anti-graft campaign targeting the top echelons of power

Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed to continue the campaign against corruption within the military after several senior commanders were dismissed over allegations of graft and misconduct.

The president made his warning during a speech before delegates from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the People’s Armed Police on Saturday.

“There must be no place in the military for those who are disloyal to the party, nor any place for corrupt elements,” Xi said. He called for strict oversight in “key areas such as fund flows, the exercise of power, and quality control” during the country’s next five-year plan set to be greenlit later this month.

After securing his third term in 2023, Xi initiated a crackdown on graft in the armed forces and the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party. The campaign has led to the dismissal of multiple members of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and dozens of generals. In 2023, the Chinese Communist Party expelled two former defense ministers.

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Earlier this year, Chinese authorities launched an anti-graft probe into Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the CMC, on suspicion of “serious violation of discipline and law.” Western media outlets suggested that Zhang may have been accused of leaking information on China’s nuclear program to the US.

The Central Intelligence Agency has recently renewed efforts to recruit informants in the PLA, releasing Chinese-language ads targeting service members with access to sensitive information about military technology. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has condemned the ads, vowing to “combat infiltration and sabotage activities of foreign anti-China forces.”