Yesterday, China’s most senior general, Zhang Youxia, was placed under investigation for “ suspected serious violations of discipline and law”. China’s military has fired many high-ranking generals over the years due to corruption. According to a report in The Guardian, Youxia allegedly leaked classified information about China’s nuclear program to intelligence sources in the U.S, as well as taking bribes. According to a Reuters report, Youxia’s ouster raises questions about a depleted military leadership in China at present. It is unclear what will happen next, but it is clear that Xi is not stopping his anti-corruption crusade anytime soon.
Tag: Xi
Chinese Government is in the Middle of a Major Military Shake-Up.
Xi Jinping and his government have recently conducted a massive anti-corruption purge of the country’s military. According to an article in Axios, Nine generals and three officials who were connected to China’s development of military technology were fired from a Chinese Communist Party working group called Rocket Force, which focuses on China’s missile program. On top of that, The Washington Post reports that Xi appointed a new defense minister, Dong Jun, the former head of the Chinese Navy. The previous defense minister, Li Shangfu, has not been seen in public for two months, and questions are mounting as to his whereabouts. Many experts on China-related policy believe Xi faces an impossible task in rooting out endemic corruption as there is a chronic lack of transparency and accountability within the Chinese military.
Head of China Life Insurance Sentenced to Death on Corruption Charges.
The former Chairman of China’s most prominent life insurance firm Wang Bin today was sentenced to death with a two year reprieve after being found guilty on corruption charges. This is the latest conviction of a well-known figure in China’s financial services industry, as President Xi clamps down on corruption. According to a report from CNN, Mr. Wang had taken $44 million in bribes and had stashed $7 million away in a bank account in Hong Kong. It is unclear who could have bribed Mr. Wang; it could be anyone within the Chinese business community or someone from abroad. According to a report in the Independent, when Wang was arrested in 2022, China’s anti-corruption body stated he failed to institute policies within his company that would mitigate financial risks. Likely, this will not be the last time a prominent figure in the Chinese financial industry will be charged with corruption.
Crispin Corruption Report 