China’s Defence Minister Probed: Anti-Corruption Storm Hits Military Elite

China’s Defence Minister Dong Jun is under investigation as part of a sweeping anti-corruption campaign targeting the top echelons of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. Dong is the third consecutive serving or former defence minister to face corruption probes, according to US officials cited by the report.

When questioned about the allegations during a daily press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning dismissed the report as “chasing shadows.” The Ministry of Defence has yet to respond to requests for comment.

 

Expanding Anti-Corruption Purge

The PLA has seen an extensive anti-corruption drive since last year, with at least nine generals and several defence industry executives removed from the national legislative body. Dong, formerly the PLA Navy chief, was appointed defence minister in December 2023, following the removal of his predecessor, Li Shangfu, after just seven months in office.

Despite overseeing a recent thaw in US-China military relations, including high-level commander talks in September, Dong’s tenure has been marked by controversy. Last week, he declined a meeting with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a defense ministers’ summit in Laos, citing US policies on Taiwan.

 

Political Exclusion Raises Questions

Dong’s political trajectory has raised eyebrows. He was notably excluded from the six-member Central Military Commission (CMC), China’s top military decision-making body, during a major Communist Party plenum this year. Additionally, he was not appointed to the State Council during a cabinet reshuffle in March, breaking with tradition for a defence minister.

Dennis Wilder, a former US intelligence analyst and professor at Georgetown University, remarked, “Nothing surprises me anymore. Once corruption investigations in the PLA start, they tend to unravel numerous other issues.”

 

Predecessors’ Fall from Grace

Dong’s predecessors, Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe, were expelled from the Communist Party in June for “serious violations of discipline,” a term often used to describe corruption. Both were accused of accepting substantial bribes and abusing their positions to secure promotions and other benefits.

The crackdown reflects President Xi Jinping’s ongoing efforts to tighten control over the military and eliminate corruption, which officials say has long plagued the PLA.