Chinese military’s anti-graft drive targets mid-level officers to root out disgraced leaders’ influence

The top brass of the People’s Liberation Army has expanded its anti-graft targets to include mid-level officers to root out the harmful influence of Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou, the disgraced former top leaders of the army.

All Communist Party chiefs from PLA departments, and units under the powerful Central Military Commission held a study meeting on Monday to come up with measures to eliminate all adverse effects of Guo and Xu’s leadership, in the aftermath of their downfall, according to a report published by the PLA Daily’s social media.

Battalion-level units or above have party committee divisions that may include major or lieutenant colonel cadres, according to a retired senior colonel who asked for anonymity.

“The meeting aims at giving a warning and urging party committee heads to be careful of any harmful influence left by Guo and Xu’s adherents,” the senior colonel told the South China Morning Post.

“The CMC also ordered all military books containing Guo and Xu’s speeches, words or pictures should be destroyed.”