Xi Jinping does not seem to find the ideal man to embody the Chinese army

• Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun is under investigation for corruption, the FT reported on Wednesday.
• This would make him the third person in a row linked to the position to be investigated for corruption.
• Xi Jinping and his leaders likely took at least two months to select, review and announce Dong in 2023.

Less than a year after taking office, China's defense minister is now under investigation for corruption, according to a new report from the Financial Times.

The outlet cited unnamed current and former U.S. officials as saying Admiral Dong Jun had been caught up in a broader investigation into corruption within the People's Liberation Army.

This would make him the third person in a row linked to his office to be investigated. His predecessor, former general Li Shangfu, was reportedly investigated for corruption in September 2023 and was officially fired the following month.

Li had served seven months after being appointed by Chinese leader Xi Jinping in March 2023.

Wei Fenghe, defense minister before Li, held the position for nearly five years. The appointment of Wei, originally from the PLA Rocket Force, marked a turning point in the tradition of this role since the Minister of Defense had previously always come from the Chinese army.

He and Li were expelled from the Chinese Communist Party in June and stripped of their general ranks, with state media claiming they had illegally taken gifts and money.

As for Dong, the FT provided no details on the investigation led by the current defense minister.

But he was just in Laos for a meeting of Asian defense leaders last week, making headlines. talks in decline with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

Asked about reports of an investigation into Dong, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning sharply dismissed them as rumors.

“Chasing the wind and the shadows. Next question,” she told reporters at a news briefing Wednesday, using a Chinese expression that means something is said or raised without foundation.

China's Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider.

A selection process lasting up to 4 months

In a separate report released Thursday, Reuters cited two U.S. officials who also spoke of an investigation into Dong. One said the investigation originally involved the Strategic Rocket Forces but was broadened to include the military and procurement.

Another senior US official told Reuters he had doubts about the accuracy of the FT's initial report. All three have not been named.

Notably, it likely took Xi at least two months to vet, select, and announce Dong for defense minister after Li's formal dismissal. This process could have taken up to four months, with Dong's predecessor having disappeared from the public scene in September 2023, and he was appointed at the end of December 2023.

China's defense minister generally does not have operational command of combat forces, but rather is a diplomatic and public figure representing the military.

Those responsible for China's combat capabilities are part of the Central Military Commission, a small group of senior leaders led by Xi.

Dong is not part of this commission, although his predecessor, Li, was a member during his tenure as defense minister.

All this comes as Xi has in recent years placed emphasis on developing China's military into a modern fighting force, focusing on its rocket weapons systems and nuclear capabilities.

At the same time, his long-running anti-corruption campaign, recently extended to the military, has ousted nearly a dozen PLA generals, as well as several senior officials of the prized rocket forces.

The shots sparked international speculation about Xi's confidence in his military's operational readiness at a time when China is trying to match the United States in strength.