Xi pledges to strike hard against PLA corruption
President reiterates intent to hunt down graft in the military, following the announcement earlier this week of an investigation into former security chief Zhou Yongkang
President Xi Jinping has pledged to strike hard against graft in the military, urging soldiers to banish corrupt practices and ensure their loyalty to the ruling Communist Party, state media reported on Friday.
The vow to punish graft in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) came only days after the Communist Party began an investigation into former domestic security chief Zhou Yongkang, by far the highest-profile figure caught up in Xi’s high-profile crackdown on corruption.
“Resolutely punish corruption, maintain the good image of the people’s armed forces from beginning to end.”
Xi said troops should remember where their priorities lie, the official PLA Daily reported. His remarks were made during a visit to a military base in the southeastern province of Fujian on Thursday to mark the 87th birthday of the PLA.
“Resolutely punish corruption, maintain the good image of the people’s armed forces from beginning to end,” the PLA Daily quoted Xi as saying.
He said soldiers must stay clear of what the party calls the “four customs”: formalism, bureaucracy, hedonism and extravagance.
In June, the party announced that it will court-martial Xu Caihou, one of its most senior former military officers, on charges of corruption.
