Senior Chinese military official questioned

DISCIPLINE VIOLATIONS:
Miao Hua rose through the ranks of the military's political department and was already quite senior before Xi Jinping came to power in 2012.

A member of China's powerful Central Military Commission has been suspended and is under investigation, China's Ministry of National Defense announced Thursday.

Miao Hua () was director of the political work department of the commission, which oversees the People's Liberation Army (PLA), the world's largest standing army. He was one of five members of the commission, besides its head, Chinese President Xi Jinping ().

Ministry spokesperson Col. Wu Qian (展开) said Miao was under investigation for serious discipline violations, which usually allude to corruption.

Photo: KCNA via Reuters

This is the third major recent shake-up in China's defense establishment. China announced in June that former Chinese Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu () and his predecessor, Wei Fenghe (), had been expelled from the Chinese Communist Party and accused of corruption.

Still, the high-level investigation is unlikely to have significant consequences, given Xi's strong grip on power.

Most countries would suffer at least some damage to their international reputations if such frequent, high-level personnel purges had taken place in their own armed forces, but the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] This is no ordinary country, James Char, a researcher at the Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said in an email. These purges can continue as long as their commander-in-chief approves them.

During Xi's first term as party secretary, he was known for his multi-year campaign against corruption that brought down many top political rivals and thousands of officials. This has led some to allege a widespread purge of officers suspected of conspiring with outside forces or simply being insufficiently loyal to Xi.

The president's dedication to his anti-corruption campaign continued throughout his term. High-ranking officers hold a high position in Chinese politics and can enjoy extensive privileges, both official and unofficial.

Miao is under investigation after the Financial Times reported that Chinese National Defense Minister Dong Jun () was being investigated for corruption.

Miao's position on the commission surpasses Dong and everyone else who serves as defense minister, because the Chinese Communist Party's positions are more powerful than government institutions in China.

Experts say a possible corruption investigation would not be a surprise, given the PLA's history.

In the 1990s, the PLA was allowed to run businesses as the country opened up during the reform and opening-up period, when the country had ended many of its planned economic policies and moved to a more market-based economy.

Miao rose through the ranks of the military's political department and served as political commissar of the PLA Navy. He was already quite senior before Xi came to power in 2012.

While the investigation focuses on corruption, it does not run counter to public expectations, said Yen Tiehlin, deputy director of the Taiwan Center for Security Studies, which studies the PLA. It's very difficult for anyone who was a middle or senior manager in the 1990s not to have imperfections.

Wu said Dong was not under investigation and called the newspaper's report a complete fabrication.

In response to a question about the identity of the defense minister, Wu smiled and raised his hands and shrugged his shoulders.

Why are you asking this absurd question? I have just said it several times: Minister Dong Jun, he said.