China's top military officials face corruption charges, expelled from office

On Friday (Oct 17), China’s Ministry of National Defence has seen top officials coming under the scanner. In the latest, the country’s second rank military general’s name has been added to the investigation. As reported by news outlet South China Morning Post, the ministry confirmed that He Weidong,vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), who is also a member of the 24-man Politburo, was expelled fromthe army and Communist Party (CP). Weidong is the first serving member of the Politburo and the CP to face these charges and be investigated.

Ministry releases statement on Weidong's expulsion

A total on nine officers, all senior personnel, have been investigated and punished, informed ministry spokesman Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang in what is a rare voluntary public release.

“Upon investigation, it has been determined that these nine individuals seriously violated party discipline and allegedly committed grave duty-related crimes. The amounts involved are particularly huge, the nature of the offences extremely severe, and the impact is exceptionally negative,” Zhang told media on Friday (Oct 17).

Who all officers are involved in matter

As informed by Zhang, a total of nine senior military officers were investigated and punished in the matter. While He was definitely the top name among all the personnel involved, below are the other officers who were punished as well

• Miao Hua, former member of the CMC in charge of the military’s political, ideology and personnel work
• He Hongjun, Miao’s deputy and former executive
• Wang Xiubin, former executive deputy director of the CMC Joint Operations Command Centre
• Lin Xiangyang, former commander of the Eastern Theatre Command
• Qin Shutong, former political commissar of the army
• Yuan Huazhi, former political commissar of the navy
• Wang Houbin, former commander of the Rocket Force
• Wang Chunning, former commander of the People’s Armed Police Force

More to follow…