Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Nov. 28: Admiral Dong Jun, China’s defence minister, is under investigation for alleged corruption, making him the third consecutive minister to face such charges. Dong, who assumed the role in December 2023 following the removal of his predecessor Li Shangfu, now faces similar corruption charges just seven months into his tenure.
Dong was last seen publicly on November 21 in Vientiane, Laos, where he attended an Asian defence meeting but declined to meet with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. China’s defence ministers have traditionally served as members of both the Central Military Commission (CMC), the highest decision-making body for military affairs, and the State Council, the cabinet-level executive body. However, Dong was neither promoted to the six-member CMC, led by Xi Jinping, nor appointed to the State Council.
In a press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning dismissed the investigation as “just shadow chasing,” implying that the allegations lacked substance. However, Dong’s case aligns with a growing pattern of corruption probes targeting senior military officials.
This investigation is part of a decade-long anti-corruption campaign initiated by President Xi Jinping in 2012, which has aggressively targeted high-ranking officials within the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Dong’s predecessors, Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe, also fell under scrutiny, with Li removed after just seven months in office for “serious violations of discipline,” a term often used to denote corruption. Wei, a former defence minister and head of the PLA Rocket Force, was similarly dismissed, with no details provided on his whereabouts.
Observers note that these investigations reflect deeper instability within the Chinese military leadership. In December 2023, nine senior military officers were ousted from China’s national legislative body, signalling a sweeping effort to consolidate power and address corruption in the ranks. Critics, however, argue that the anti-corruption drive doubles as a political tool for eliminating rivals and tightening President Xi’s grip on power.
