Army to reinforce discipline in the ranks
A campaign will be launched to reinforce discipline and tighten control in the Army, a military official said yesterday.
A day after President Jiang Zemin launched his appeal to root out top-level corruption, Central Military Commission vice-chairman General Zhang Wannian said big efforts would be made to fight army graft and idleness.
'Measures will be taken to step up supervision on high and medium-level military cadres and economic crimes will be targeted,' General Zhang told a conference on military discipline. Another key task was to curb extravagant spending.
'We are determined to push further anti-corruption work in the Army. We must resolutely rectify the situation of some units not obeying the law and having loose management.' Leaders are frustrated over worsening discipline, particularly among PLA personnel engaged in business crimes.
General Zhang said fighting graft was crucial for stability and unity in the Army and country.
The public wanted a cleaner Army to serve society.
'Only a clean Army can help the country to reach its target of military modernisation,' said General Zhang. Rules have been passed to reinforce discipline and loyalty.
Military officials were warned at the conference that dereliction of duty and economic irregularities would be severely punished.
Meanwhile, the Communist Party has expelled a provincial official for accepting shares and cash in return for granting approval for companies to list on the stock exchange.
Xin Yejiang, deputy chairman of the Hainan people's congress and a former member of the Securities Regulatory Committee, was charged with accepting 50,000 yuan (HK$46,725) from Hainan Haiyao Limited and 28,000 yuan from Hainan Haisheng Shipping.
Xin took the bribes while working on the regulatory committee between 1993 and 1995. Both companies are now listed on the stock exchange.
