China’s military warns against return to bad old ways of graft
Prominent article in the official army newspaper says vigilance is needed to ensure corruption is completely stamped out
The Chinese military needs to be on its guard against corruption rearing its head again, the official People’s Liberation Army Daily said on Friday, warning the arrow cannot be put back in the quiver in the fight against graft.
China’s military, the world’s largest and undergoing an ambitious modernisation campaign, has been an important focus of President Xi Jinping campaign against deep-seated corruption since he took power almost five years ago.
Dozens of officers have been investigated and jailed, including Xu Caihou and Guo Boxiong, both former vice-chairmen of the Central Military Commission, which Xi heads.
Guo was jailed for life last year. Xu died of cancer in 2015 before he could face trial.
In a lengthy front page story, the People’s Liberation Army Daily said the “illusions of the corrupt elements had been smashed” and that the “evil begotten” by Xu and Guo had been cleared away like smog dispersed by the wind.
However, the corruption fight needed to continue, not stop, with perseverance and tenacity, the paper said.
A hard task remains to ensure the armed forces are clean and that the influence of Guo and Xu are fully purged, the paper said.
“It remains a difficult mission to prevent a rebound and a resurgence,” it added, saying “the arrow cannot be sheathed once the bow is drawn”.
Serving and retired officers have said graft in the armed forces is so pervasive it could undermine China’s ability to wage war.
The anti-graft drive comes as Xi steps up efforts to modernise forces that are projecting power across the disputed waters of the East and South China Seas, although China has not fought a war in decades.
