A senior People's Liberation Army officer has reportedly been sacked after being implicated in 'economic problems', a mainland euphemism for corruption, sources in Beijing say.
Lieutenant General Gu Junshan, the deputy chief of the General Logistics Department, was taken away by investigators from the military's disciplinary watchdog a day after his last public appearance, at a Spring Festival reception for military veterans on January 18, according to a source close to the military.
Gu attended the reception with the chief of the logistics unit, General Liao Xilong, and its political commissar, General Liu Yuan .
A media source in Beijing confirmed that Gu was put under investigation days before the Lunar New Year on January 23, adding that Liu had played a key role in the process.
Liu is a rising military star who has been tipped to become head of the PLA's General Political Department and a member of its top decision-making body, the Central Military Commission, during a major reshuffle set to take place this autumn.
The internet, especially microblogs, have been buzzing with speculation about the removal for the past few days of 56-year-old Gu, a native of Henan province.