U.S. intelligence officials analyzed that behind Chinese President Xi Jinping’s large-scale military purge was an internal judgment that the military power was damaged by corruption across the military.
Bloomberg quoted a U.S. intelligence official on the 6th (local time) saying, “The level of internal corruption of the Chinese People’s Army, especially the Rocket Army, which was established in 2016, is so serious that the Chinese military’s ability to carry out combat is generally incredible.”
Officials analyzed that “this makes it less likely that President Xi will consider conducting major military operations in the next few years.”
U.S. intelligence officials confirmed that Chinese military corruption cases were filled with water instead of fuel, or that unused missiles were piled up in warehouses because the lid did not fit.
Officials interpreted the corruption as leading to a recent purge of rocket forces and defense industries that President Xi recently pulled out his sword.
The previous day, Bloomberg reported that Chinese authorities were found to have purged 15 leaders of rocket forces and defense state enterprises over the past six months.
The list includes key figures, including former Defense Minister Lee Hsienfu. Lee went into public hiding in August last year after delivering a keynote speech at a security forum with African countries in Beijing. Chinese military authorities have not given a clear reason.
In addition, the leadership of the National People’s Congress (NPC) has been dismissed for nine leaders of the armed forces. The leadership’s dismissal includes Li Yuqiao and Zhou Yanying who served as commanders of the rocket force, Jiang Zhenzhong, Li Chuan Guang, Lu Hong, and Zhang Yilin , who served as commanders of the air force of Dinglai Port, Lao Wenmin, and Zixinchun.
Some point out that such a large-scale purge has virtually wiped out the attempts to modernize the military, which President Xi has been focusing on since he created the Rocket Army in 2016.
President Xi Jinping has poured astronomical amounts of money into rocket forces and other fields, with the goal of modernizing his military by 2027. However, corruption in and out of the rocket forces has crushed Xi’s expectations.
U.S. authorities believe the purge does not harm Xi’s position, but rather shows that he still has a strong influence within the Communist Party, Bloomberg reported.
It also analyzed that the purge revealed at home and abroad that President Xi is firmly pursuing the goal of eradicating corruption.
While a widespread corruption investigation is currently underway in China, there are also observations that there will be further purges in the future.
The People’s Liberation Army, a newspaper of the People’s Liberation Army, said in an editorial on the 1st that it would fight cheating this year and predicted further purges in the future.
SALLY
ASIA JOURNAL
