FT: Chinaʼs defense minister is suspected of corruption, which left two of his predecessors out of office

Chinaʼs Defense Minister Dong Jung is at the center of a corruption investigation.

This is reported by the Financial Times with reference to sources.

It is not yet known what exactly Dong Jung is suspected of. But his case is likely part of a broader investigation into corruption in Chinaʼs Peopleʼs Liberation Army.

Dong Jung took over as Chinaʼs defense minister in December 2023 after his predecessor Li Shangfu was dismissed amid corruption allegations. Li Shangfuʼs predecessor as Chinaʼs defense minister, Wei Fenghe, also lost his position due to a corruption case.

News of the investigation against Dong Jung came a week after he refused to meet with the US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. They were supposed to meet on the sidelines of the Asian Summit in Laos.

An investigation into corruption in Chinaʼs military leadership could undermine Chinese leader Xi Jinpingʼs confidence in his military and cast doubt on their ability to "build the capacity to invade Taiwan by 2027." The possibility of such an invasion was previously announced in the USA and in Taiwan, but the Chinese authorities did not officially confirm this.

Dong Jung, like his predecessors, was appointed to the position by Xi Jinping himself. In addition to the defense ministers, the investigations also affected two former commanders of the missile forces who were responsible for Chinaʼs nuclear program.

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