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China defense minister's ouster reflects Xi's push for discipline
Li Shangfu's exit follows dismissals and probes of other senior officers
YUKIO TAJIMA, Nikkei staff writer, 10/25/23
BEIJING -- The ouster of Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu comes amid a broader military shake-up as President Xi Jinping looks to root out corruption and enforce top-down discipline in the ranks.
Xi authorized Li's dismissal, with the National People's Congress Standing Committee -- the nation's top legislative body -- removing Li from his position Tuesday. No reason was given.
China's defense minister, who is mainly responsible for military diplomacy, has generally been replaced once every five years following each twice-a-decade congress convened by the Communist Party.
Li's two immediate predecessors, Wei Fenghe and Chang Wanquan, served full five-year terms. Li lasted only about seven months.
The ouster may have been connected to improprieties in military procurement. The Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission (CMC) announced in July a probe into "disciplinary violations" relating to bids and contracts for equipment dating back to October 2017.
The department urged people to come forward with tips on any wrongdoing. Li had led the department since September 2017.
Also this July, China replaced two top officers in the People's Liberation Army's Rocket Force, which oversees nuclear and missile operations. The South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong daily, reported late that month that three officers were targeted in a corruption investigation.
The government has allocated a massive budget to the Rocket Force to conduct equipment development and procurement.
"Senior officials with authority over bids and contracts are often tempted toward corruption," a source in Japan's national security community said.
This year, Xi has conducted inspection tours of military bases five times and called for party control over the military. On a July visit to an air force facility in Chengdu, he made an appeal for firmly pressing ahead with anti-corruption efforts.
The People's Liberation Army Daily published a commentary in September reminding senior military officers to exercise prudence when interacting with the business community and other circles.
The best way to avoid danger and temptation is to physically stay away, the piece reads, urging officers to skip unnecessary dinner appointments.
Since coming to power in 2012, Xi has pushed forward an anti-corruption campaign that ensnared Xu Caihou, a former CMC vice chairman who was stripped of his party membership in 2014. Xu, who died the following year, was accused of abusing his position to accept bribes.
The party also expelled Guo Boxiong, another former CMC vice chairman, in 2015 for promoting officers in exchange for favors. In 2018, the party revoked the memberships of Fang Fenghui and the late Zhang Yang, two former generals accused of graft.
Xi is focused on enforcing strict discipline in the military because the party's ability to control the armed forces ties directly to a leader's power base.
Mao Zedong, founder of the People's Republic of China, was a charismatic leader who retained control over the CMC even after stepping down as head of state, thus remaining the most powerful figure in the country.
Deng Xiaoping was China's paramount leader who ushered in reform and opened up the economy. But he never formally took the leadership posts for the Communist Party and the government. Instead, he wielded his CMC chairmanship to maintain his authority.
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