China's Military Still Has A Corruption Problem

President Xi Jinping and former PLA chief of joint staff Fang Fenghui ahead of a meeting in Beijing in 2017. Fang was jailed for life in February for taking bribes. Photo: Reuters

SCMP: China’s military demotes over 70 senior officers ‘for bribing Fang Fenghui’

* At least one general and two lieutenant generals on the list of those punished for links to jailed former chief of joint staff, according to sources
* They were ‘found guilty of offering bribes in exchange for promotions’

More than 70 serving and retired senior officers with the People’s Liberation Army have been demoted for their involvement in a corruption scandal that has rocked the PLA leadership, military sources said.

The officers – who included at least one general and two lieutenant generals – were punished for their connections to Fang Fenghui, the former chief of joint staff.

Their demotions were based on confessions given by Fang, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in February for taking bribes, according to three separate military sources, who requested anonymity.

“Among the officers, 44 of them belonged to the Beijing Military Command where Fang was the commander from 2007 to 2012,” one military source said.

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Update: Want to Be A Chinese Army General? Pay in Cash. (Michael Peck, National Interest).

WNU Editor: Chinese President Xi consolidated his power by pursuing an anti-corruption campaign. No one was immune, and over the years scores were punished. But the culture of corruption is still very strong in China, and it is not going to disappear anytime soon.