Why China’s latest corruption probes hint at fury, betrayal over political disloyalty

Expulsions of former defence ministers Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe suggest deep frustration in Communist Party leadership, analysts say

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The latest corruption probes launched by the Communist Party’s top leadership suggest outrage and frustration amid a lengthy campaign to root out graft in the military, according to observers. Photo: AP

Published: 3:35pm, 28 Jun 2024

An unusual decision by Beijing to announce corruption probes into two former defence ministers on the same day has underscored the fury and frustration of the Communist Party’s leadership over persistent graft that is deemed a threat to China’s fighting capacity and nuclear deterrence, analysts said.

In an unprecedented move, the party’s 24-person Politburo decided to launch corruption investigations into Wei Fenghe and his successor Li Shangfu, and expelled both from the party, according to statements about the decision released by state news agency Xinhua on Thursday.

The two men will face criminal charges from military prosecutors too.

Li was sacked from his job in October, just seven months after he became defence minister. Wei held the position from 2018 to 2023.

Observers drew attention to the especially harsh wording in the brief statements of the accusations against the two men.

The statements said they “betrayed the trust of the party and the CMC [Central Military Commission], seriously polluted the political environment of the military, and caused great damage to the party’s cause, national defence and military construction, as well as the image of its senior leaders”.