Chinese defense minister under investigation for alleged corruption

The news isn’t surprising, a former US intelligence analyst told Reuters: “The history with these investigations in the PLA is that once the string of corruption is pulled many other threads are revealed and the sweater unravels.” Chinese leader Xi Jinping has sometimes “capitalized” on crackdowns to gain a political advantage, but his fears about corruption aren’t delusional, a China expert told the BBC. That said, observers say Xi’s anti-corruption drive has nevertheless seen a rise in fabricated claims: The Chinese Communist Party has “almost been ‘encouraging’ reports of cadres’ misconduct or complaints about pretty much anything,” a Beijing-based political scientist told the South China Morning Post. False accusations are wasting resources, dampening morale, and deterring officials from raising legitimate concerns, the outlet reported.

Xi is “broadening his probe” into PLA graft, the Financial Times reported: Xi had earlier removed senior officials in charge of rocketry and nuclear weapons programs, while a former foreign minister was removed in 2023. US military sources told the FT that the investigations were undermining Xi’s confidence that China would achieve its goal of being capable of invading Taiwan by 2027. US intelligence has indicated that widespread corruption inside China’s Rocket Force was responsible for missiles filled with water instead of fuel, among other problems, Bloomberg reported.