https://www.scmp.com/rss/49988/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang The tough sentences handed to former defence ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu showed that Beijing had no tolerance for people with divided loyalties, the Chinese military’s official newspaper said on Friday. The PLA Daily commentary marks the first time an official outlet has accused Li of being disloyal. “The military wields the gun and there must be no one who harbours disloyalty to the party,” the editorial said. “As senior party and military leaders, Wei and Li showed a collapse of faith... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3352875/fate-chinas-ex-defence-heads-shows-party-wont-allow-disloyalty-state-media?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3352875/fate-chinas-ex-defence-heads-shows-party-wont-allow-disloyalty-state-media?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 08:13:14 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Two former Chinese defence ministers, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, have received suspended death sentences after being found guilty of corruption, according to Xinhua. A military court found Wei guilty of accepting bribes, while Li was found guilty of both accepting and offering bribes, according to a two-paragraph statement released by Xinhua late on Thursday afternoon. The statement did not specify the bribe amounts involved in the cases. Both men were sentenced to death with a two-year... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3352764/2-former-chinese-defence-ministers-given-death-sentence-reprieve?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3352764/2-former-chinese-defence-ministers-given-death-sentence-reprieve?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 10:06:55 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng A former head of China’s equities market regulator will face trial on allegations that he took vast sums in bribes in return for approving company listings and loans, according to the Communist Party’s top anti-graft watchdog. Yi Huiman, former chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), allegedly used “his position to seek benefits for others in job promotions, listing approvals and obtaining loans, and illegally accepted huge amounts of bribes”, the Central Commission for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352047/former-csrc-chairman-yi-huiman-face-trial-taking-bribes-abusing-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352047/former-csrc-chairman-yi-huiman-face-trial-taking-bribes-abusing-power?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:02:45 +0000 SCMP Sport,Agence France-Presse SCMP Sport,Agence France-Presse China’s top anti-corruption body said on Wednesday it was investigating the head of the country’s badminton association for “serious violations of discipline and law”. Olympic gold medallist Zhang Jun, chairman of the Chinese Badminton Association (CBA) and vice-president of the Nanjing Sport Institute, has been placed “under disciplinary review”, it said on its website. Jun is also being investigated by the Nantong Municipal Supervisory Commission in eastern Jiangsu province, the statement... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3351897/chinas-anti-corruption-body-probes-badminton-association-chief-zhang-jun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3351897/chinas-anti-corruption-body-probes-badminton-association-chief-zhang-jun?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:48:10 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng China’s top judicial bodies have detailed ways that the country’s criminal law can be applied to corrupt middlemen, refining the criteria for tackling “new and hidden forms of corruption”. The guidance was part of a judicial interpretation released jointly by the Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate on Friday. In it, the bodies highlight the need to enforce the law against all participants in the corruption chain, for the direct bribe-givers and recipients to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349749/china-targets-middlemen-renewed-crackdown-hidden-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349749/china-targets-middlemen-renewed-crackdown-hidden-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 11:00:11 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen With the countdown on in earnest to the PLA’s centenary next year, President Xi Jinping has urged the corruption-battered top ranks of the military to refine their ideological purity to give the armed forces a “brand new look”. Xi told senior People’s Liberation Army officers on Wednesday to maintain resolute political loyalty to the Communist Party and said that any thought or action driven by self-interest or corruption was “fundamentally against the party’s nature and purpose”, state media... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349470/xi-senior-officers-must-stay-pure-meet-chinese-militarys-centenary-goal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349470/xi-senior-officers-must-stay-pure-meet-chinese-militarys-centenary-goal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 05:02:07 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang A former top official of Guangdong province, widely seen as a “right-hand man” of former provincial governor Ma Xingrui, is under investigation for corruption. The investigation into Guo Yonghang, Communist Party secretary for Guangzhou from June 2023 until December, deepens the uncertainties about the fate of Ma, who was abruptly removed as Xinjiang’s party secretary in July and has since vanished from public life. Guo was named vice-chairman of the Guangdong provincial committee of the Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348206/china-puts-ma-xingrui-protege-guo-yonghang-under-investigation-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348206/china-puts-ma-xingrui-protege-guo-yonghang-under-investigation-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 01:00:13 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang A senior Chinese financial regulator and former graft fighter has been placed under investigation for corruption, officials announced on Tuesday, marking one of the highest-profile purges among China’s financial regulatory apparatus in recent years. Zhou Liang, vice-chairman of the National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA), is under investigation for “serious violations of discipline and law”, a euphemism for corruption, bribery and abuse of power, according to an announcement by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3347731/senior-chinese-financial-regulator-and-ex-graft-fighter-zhou-liang-under-corruption-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3347731/senior-chinese-financial-regulator-and-ex-graft-fighter-zhou-liang-under-corruption-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 10:58:44 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Prosecutors have formally indicted Shi Yongxin, the former abbot of the famed Shaolin Temple, four months after his arrest and following a string of financial and sexual scandals. Prosecutors in Xinxiang, Henan province, have formally charged Shi with embezzlement, misappropriation of funds, non-state official bribery and offering bribes, according to a Friday report from state news agency Xinhua. The 60-year-old former abbot led the Shaolin Temple for over 25 years and was ousted in July last... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3347373/former-shaolin-temple-abbot-indicted-bribery-and-embezzlement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3347373/former-shaolin-temple-abbot-indicted-bribery-and-embezzlement?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 13:14:58 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang The mayor of China’s southwestern metropolis of Chongqing has been placed under investigation by the country’s top anti-corruption agency. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) issued a statement on Friday saying that Hu Henghua, mayor of Chongqing and deputy secretary of the city’s Communist Party municipal committee, was under investigation for “serious violations of discipline and law” – a term commonly used to refer to corruption. Chongqing is among China’s four centrally... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3347347/chongqing-mayor-under-investigation-chinas-anti-corruption-crackdown-gathers-pace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3347347/chongqing-mayor-under-investigation-chinas-anti-corruption-crackdown-gathers-pace?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 10:52:41 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik A former top-ranking scientist in the Chinese military and one-time nuclear test site commander, Liu Guozhi, has been removed from the website of the country’s top national research institute. In 2016, Liu was named head of the science and technology commission of the Central Military Commission – China’s top military decision-making and command body – a position he is believed to have held until the early 2020s. Liu, 65, was elected to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in 2009. Some Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347200/liu-guozhi-former-top-pla-scientist-and-nuclear-test-commander-delisted-cas-website?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347200/liu-guozhi-former-top-pla-scientist-and-nuclear-test-commander-delisted-cas-website?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:58:48 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei The chief designer on the J-20 stealth fighter jet has been removed from the website of China’s national research institute, amid a sweeping campaign to stamp out corruption in the defence sector. Yang Wei, 62, had been listed as a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the top academic body for science and technology. But as of Monday, his name was no longer on the site, according to a snapshot from Internet Archive, which seeks to preserve online content. Yang has not appeared in public... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346972/j-20-fighter-jet-designer-scrubbed-chinese-academy-sciences-website?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346972/j-20-fighter-jet-designer-scrubbed-chinese-academy-sciences-website?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 09:00:09 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Jiang Chaoliang, Communist Party chief of Hubei when Covid-19 first hit the province and a former prominent banker, has been charged with accepting “an especially huge amount” of bribes starting in the 1990s. The investigation into his case, first announced in February last year, has closed, and the Nanjing Municipal People’s Procuratorate has filed a public prosecution with the Nanjing Intermediate People’s Court, according to a statement on Tuesday from the Supreme People’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3346885/former-banker-and-hubei-party-boss-indicted-accepting-especially-huge-bribes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3346885/former-banker-and-hubei-party-boss-indicted-accepting-especially-huge-bribes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 09:15:35 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China will enact a law to combat cross-border corruption this year, according to the top legislature’s work report released on Monday – a move aimed at preventing corruption by companies overseas, which some experts said could shield them from foreign “long-arm jurisdiction”. The work report, submitted by the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee to the fourth session of the 14th NPC for deliberation, provided no details or specific timeline for the legislation. The law is expected... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3346010/china-eyes-cross-border-corruption-law-will-it-blunt-long-arm-west?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3346010/china-eyes-cross-border-corruption-law-will-it-blunt-long-arm-west?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 13:30:11 +0000 Yuanyue Dang,William Zheng Yuanyue Dang,William Zheng In the run-up to this year’s ‘two sessions’ – the annual meetings of China’s top legislature and political advisory body – high-level policymakers have stressed the need to defuse financial risks and root out political corruption, two of President Xi Jinping’s long-term priorities. As part of a series, Yuanyue Dang and William Zheng look at why the fight against graft is the new normal. As early as the start of President Xi Jinping’s second term in 2018, the Chinese leadership declared an... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345287/chinas-war-corruption-just-end-beginning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345287/chinas-war-corruption-just-end-beginning?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 22:00:12 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen China has revoked the political advisory seats of three generals, including two who previously held key positions in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) ground force, as the anti-corruption drive continues within the top brass and defence industry. Han Weiguo, Gao Jin and Liu Lei were removed from membership of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and their respective roles in its Standing Committee and relevant special committees, the political advisory body said on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345215/generals-stripped-cppcc-roles-chinas-corruption-clean-continues?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345215/generals-stripped-cppcc-roles-chinas-corruption-clean-continues?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 05:00:09 +0000 Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Chinese lawmakers gather next week for the annual “two sessions” legislative meetings, where they will approve the 15th five-year plan and likely see a shift towards less emphasis on economic growth. Premier Li Qiang will summarise the new five-year plan and announce the 2026 GDP target on March 5, the first day of meetings for the National People’s Congress, the country’s legislature. Lawmakers will likely give near-unanimous support to the plan, which runs through 2030, when the meeting... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/politics/article/3344851/two-sessions-trump-tariffs-jdcom-earnings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/politics/article/3344851/two-sessions-trump-tariffs-jdcom-earnings?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 09:00:08 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang During the past decade, Chinese think tanks have had the best of two worlds – having the backing of the government while having some room to move outside it. Encouraged by the country’s leadership to promote China’s soft power, the sector has grown in influence as retired officials have come on board, bringing expertise, connections and some freedom. Not unlike their Western counterparts, these institutes have come to play major roles in Track 2 diplomacy and policy recommendations. But two... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343977/end-golden-age-chinese-think-tanks-star-ex-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343977/end-golden-age-chinese-think-tanks-star-ex-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 14:00:07 +0000 Sylvie Zhuang,William Zheng Sylvie Zhuang,William Zheng Beijing has quietly tightened restrictions on officials with family members overseas in the past year as part of a sweeping anti-corruption drive, according to sources. Three people familiar with the situation said inspections had been carried out since early last year within government bodies and state-owned enterprises to scrutinise the overseas connections of top officials and executives. In the past, such inspections have sought to identify “naked officials” – those whose spouses and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343893/china-widens-anti-corruption-net-catch-quasi-naked-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343893/china-widens-anti-corruption-net-catch-quasi-naked-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 14:00:10 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Two Chinese investigative journalists detained in Sichuan province earlier this month after accusing a local Communist Party official of corruption have been released on bail pending further investigation. Liu Hu, 50, a veteran Chinese investigative reporter, and his colleague, Wu Yingjiao, 34, were taken into custody on suspicion of “making false accusations” and conducting “illegal business operations”, police in Chengdu’s Jinjiang district said on February 2. In an article posted last month... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343751/chinese-journalists-who-accused-communist-party-official-corruption-released-bail?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343751/chinese-journalists-who-accused-communist-party-official-corruption-released-bail?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 10:30:09 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang Chinese authorities say their investigation of a high-profile scandal at one of the country’s leading state-run museums has revealed systemic mismanagement and alleged corruption over decades that allowed national treasures to be funnelled into the private art market. The scandal broke in late December when reports alleged that Nanjing Museum in eastern Jiangsu province had secretly sold donated paintings, prompting an investigation that focused on a former director accused of mishandling the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343035/chinese-probe-nanjing-museum-scandal-alleges-historic-mismanagement-and-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343035/chinese-probe-nanjing-museum-scandal-alleges-historic-mismanagement-and-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 08:00:12 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun A senior executive at one of China’s major policy banks has been placed under investigation, becoming the latest target in a sweeping official anti-corruption drive across the financial sector. Xu Yiding, vice-president of the Agricultural Development Bank of China (ADBC) and member of its Communist Party committee, is suspected of “serious violations of party discipline and the law”, according to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission. The two... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342816/farmers-son-banker-xu-yiding-under-investigation-chinas-anti-corruption-watchdog?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342816/farmers-son-banker-xu-yiding-under-investigation-chinas-anti-corruption-watchdog?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 15:00:14 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Xiao Jie, a senior official in the Chinese province of Hainan who played a leading role in building reefs in disputed territories in the South China Sea, has been detained on suspicion of corruption. Xiao, 66, became the first Communist Party chief and mayor of Sansha when it was established as a prefecture-level city in 2012 to administer territories held by Beijing, including the Spratly Islands, Paracel Islands and Macclesfield Bank. He was accused of “serious violations of discipline and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342648/hainan-official-who-played-key-role-building-south-china-sea-reefs-faces-corruption-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342648/hainan-official-who-played-key-role-building-south-china-sea-reefs-faces-corruption-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 09:00:10 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei China has removed three senior defence industry executives, including a nuclear weapons expert, from the national legislature as part of a deepening anti-corruption campaign. The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on Wednesday said it had expelled Liu Cangli, former president of the China Academy of Engineering Physics, Luo Qi, chief engineer of the China National Nuclear Corporation, and Zhou Xinmin, former chairman of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China. It did not say... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3342411/china-expels-defence-industry-officials-legislature-amid-corruption-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3342411/china-expels-defence-industry-officials-legislature-amid-corruption-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 13:49:39 +0000 Yuanyue Dang,William Zheng,Jun Mai Yuanyue Dang,William Zheng,Jun Mai Beijing’s bold move to remove top generals accused of corruption reflects its strategic assessment that overhauling the armed forces is more urgent, and that the issue of Taiwan can wait, according to military analysts. The investigation into China’s top commanders, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, has left the Central Military Commission (CMC), the country’s highest military command body, with just two members at present – President Xi Jinping, who is chairman of the CMC, and vice-chairman Zhang... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3342224/what-does-fall-pla-top-brass-zhang-youxia-say-about-beijings-taiwan-plans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3342224/what-does-fall-pla-top-brass-zhang-youxia-say-about-beijings-taiwan-plans?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 22:00:48 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng The PLA’s anti-corruption investigations into top general Zhang Youxia and others will eliminate a watered-down combat capability resulting from corruption and give new momentum to the armed forces, the official paper of the Chinese military has said. “The resolute investigation and punishment of corrupt officials such as Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli removes obstacles and stumbling blocks that hinder the development of our cause,” the PLA Daily said in a front-page editorial on Monday. “It... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342072/zhang-youxia-investigation-end-watered-down-capability-chinas-military?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342072/zhang-youxia-investigation-end-watered-down-capability-chinas-military?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 07:01:12 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma China’s unrelenting anti-corruption drive will improve – not compromise – the military’s fighting strength, two signed commentaries published in the PLA Daily have argued. The articles – one on Friday and the other on Saturday – in the People’s Liberation Army mouthpiece called corruption the “number one killer” of battle effectiveness and cautioned against both “unrealistic optimism” and “harmful pessimism” about the anti-graft campaign – suggesting the crackdown on corruption will not end any... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3341947/chinas-military-redoubles-corruption-fight-wake-zhang-youxias-downfall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3341947/chinas-military-redoubles-corruption-fight-wake-zhang-youxias-downfall?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 12:56:49 +0000 Agence France-Presse,Tribune News Service Agence France-Presse,Tribune News Service One of the men behind a sweeping basketball match-fixing scheme told a co-conspirator the only certainties in life were “death, taxes and Chinese basketball”, US federal prosecutors revealed on Thursday. Twenty-six people have been charged with fixing US college and Chinese professional basketball games in an alleged transnational criminal conspiracy, federal prosecutors said. The indictment, filed in Philadelphia, includes bribery charges and relates to nearly 30 games in which conspirators... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3340091/26-charged-latest-us-basketball-scandal-scheme-started-china-prosecutors-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3340091/26-charged-latest-us-basketball-scandal-scheme-started-china-prosecutors-say?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 03:18:35 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang Beijing has revealed how its graft-busters are investigating bribes paid in hard-to-trace cryptocurrencies by tracking the ways in which corrupt officials have been spending the proceeds. A documentary shown on state broadcaster CCTV on Wednesday highlighted the case of Yao Qian, the former director of the digital currency institute at the People’s Bank of China. Investigators became suspicious when Yao bought a villa in Beijing for more than 20 million yuan (around US$2.9 million) under the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3340038/how-chinese-corruption-busters-are-tracking-down-bribes-paid-cryptocurrency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3340038/how-chinese-corruption-busters-are-tracking-down-bribes-paid-cryptocurrency?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 11:51:31 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell Alongside death and taxes, there are few things more universally certain than corruption in public procurement. That is a reality worth keeping front of mind in Hong Kong as we home in on those we want to blame for the tragic Wang Fuk Court fire that in November killed at least 161 people and left thousands homeless. The maintenance contracts may not have been public procurement contracts, but they were supposed to be strictly overseen by officials and subject to government regulations.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3339224/root-out-corruption-hong-kongs-tai-po-fire-investigation-must-go-beyond-scapegoats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3339224/root-out-corruption-hong-kongs-tai-po-fire-investigation-must-go-beyond-scapegoats?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Wenran Jiang Wenran Jiang For China’s leadership, the most urgent lesson of modern military power comes not from a foreign manual but from its own history books. Its catastrophic defeat by Japan in 1895, born of internal corruption, forms the invisible backdrop to every Chinese showcase of modern hardware. The recent live-fire drill around Taiwan code-named Justice Mission 2025 – a forceful display of Beijing’s resolve to achieve reunification and deter any challenge to its core interests – was no exception. To Beijing,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3338815/how-chinas-history-links-military-strength-fighting-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3338815/how-chinas-history-links-military-strength-fighting-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 01:30:11 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Tian Xuebin, a State Council veteran who worked under several former premiers, has been placed under investigation by the top anti-corruption agency of China’s ruling Communist Party. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), China’s highest political disciplinary and anti-corruption agency, announced on Monday that Tian, 62, had been detained for “suspected serious violations of discipline and law”, a euphemism for corruption. He last served as vice-minister of water resources... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338796/china-continues-chase-corrupt-tigers-state-council-veteran-put-under-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338796/china-continues-chase-corrupt-tigers-state-council-veteran-put-under-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 11:04:41 +0000 Haining Gao Haining Gao China’s top graft-buster ensnared 65 senior Chinese civilian officials, including eight at the ministerial-level, in 2025, marking a record high in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s crackdown on corruption campaign, according to a tally by the Post. Among the eight ministerial-level officials under investigation were former chairman of the Tibet autonomous region Qi Zhala, former governor of Shanxi Province Jin Xiangjun and former regulator of China’s equities market Yi Huiman. This year’s total... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3338273/chinas-never-ending-anti-corruption-campaign-2025-tracker?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3338273/chinas-never-ending-anti-corruption-campaign-2025-tracker?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Dec 2025 07:08:40 +0000 Sylvie Zhuang Sylvie Zhuang Three more top-ranking Chinese officers have been expelled from the national legislature, becoming the latest to fall foul of an anti-corruption campaign sweeping through the military. The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress said on Saturday that it had expelled Wang Renhua, head of the Central Military Commission’s Political and Legal Affairs Committee; Zhang Hongbing, political commissar of the People’s Armed Police (PAP); and Wang Peng, director of the CMC’s training... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337937/chinas-anti-corruption-campaign-claims-3-more-top-military-officers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337937/chinas-anti-corruption-campaign-claims-3-more-top-military-officers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Dec 2025 08:59:40 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang Chinese authorities are investigating reports that cultural treasures from a leading state-run museum were secretly sold on the market by museum staff in an alleged scam that has been described as making the Louvre thieves look “dumb”. The scandal first came to light when a 16th-century painting that had been donated by the family of an art collector appeared for auction earlier this year. A former director of the museum has since come under scrutiny after a former underling claimed that he had... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337533/china-probes-museum-art-theft-claims-make-louvre-thieves-look-dumb?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337533/china-probes-museum-art-theft-claims-make-louvre-thieves-look-dumb?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 12:28:32 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang The Chinese military is pushing for stricter rules on equipment purchases, including its pricing system, to stem corruption. According to a set of “professional ethics” released on Friday, the Central Military Commission’s (CMC) Equipment Development Department should foster “professional values in the new era”, with quality the top priority in equipment procurement. The department should serve the People’s Liberation Army with “integrity and clean practice”, the official PLA Daily quoted the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337046/chinese-military-tightens-review-equipment-and-weapons-pricing-fight-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3337046/chinese-military-tightens-review-equipment-and-weapons-pricing-fight-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 10:00:14 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang The People’s Liberation Army has made a rare public appeal for tip-offs about procurement problems in its air force, as Beijing presses ahead with its anti-corruption campaign in the military. The announcement was posted on Monday on the PLA’s official procurement website – the main bid information platform for suppliers – seeking information about “irregular” procurement activities organised by air force units. It is the first time such a request has been made about a specific branch of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3336804/chinas-military-calls-tip-offs-it-targets-corruption-air-force-procurement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3336804/chinas-military-calls-tip-offs-it-targets-corruption-air-force-procurement?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 02:00:09 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng The mainland Chinese military’s Eastern Theatre Command, the corruption-hit division that oversees Taiwan, appears to be headed by two recent additions to the command. The appointments will enable the command to maintain continuity of operations despite the corruption cases among its leadership, according to an analyst. PLA Air Force Lieutenant General Yang Zhibin, 62, and Lieutenant General Zhang Jichun, 57, stood alongside other senior officials at mainland China’s annual commemoration of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3336778/pla-division-overseeing-taiwan-sees-newcomers-charge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3336778/pla-division-overseeing-taiwan-sees-newcomers-charge?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 09:49:35 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Multiple documents on websites run by public institutions in China were found to feature fake names and people, a pattern state media warned could harm government credibility and provide a haven for corruption. The series of blunders unfolded when internet users on December 3 found that a tender document listed what appeared to be a fake judging panel, with the names of all five members coinciding with the first five entries on Baidu’s “10,000 Popular Chinese Names” archive. The proposal was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3336266/chinas-fake-name-scandal-sparks-warnings-about-government-credibility-and-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3336266/chinas-fake-name-scandal-sparks-warnings-about-government-credibility-and-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 02:00:20 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng China has executed a former senior banker who was found guilty of taking more than 1.1 billion yuan (US$155 million) in bribes. Bai Tianhui, the former general manager of the asset management firm China Huarong International Holdings, was executed on Tuesday after the Supreme People’s Court approved the sentence, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The state-owned offshore unit Bai ran was taken over by Citic Group and renamed China Citic Financial Asset Management in January last year. It is rare... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335722/former-chinese-senior-banker-bai-tianhui-executed-taking-us155-million-bribes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335722/former-chinese-senior-banker-bai-tianhui-executed-taking-us155-million-bribes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 11:00:08 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Bi Jingquan, China’s former top food and drug regulator who received an international accolade for promoting innovation, has been expelled from the Communist Party and removed from public office on corruption charges. An investigation found that Bi had accepted gifts, money, trips and banquets and borrowed vehicles from private business owners, a statement from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said on Monday. The statement also said Bi had “allowed others to pay for him,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335712/former-chief-chinas-food-and-drug-watchdog-ousted-communist-party?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335712/former-chief-chinas-food-and-drug-watchdog-ousted-communist-party?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 08:00:15 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Another senior official in Xinjiang has been placed under investigation amid Beijing’s vow to resolutely “eradicate the soil for corruption”. Chen Weijun, executive vice-chairman of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, was “under disciplinary review and supervisory investigation” for suspected “serious violations of discipline and law”, China’s top anti-graft agency said on Sunday, referencing a euphemism for corruption. The announcement from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI)... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3334793/no-soil-corruption-chen-weijun-joins-list-senior-xinjiang-officials-investigated?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3334793/no-soil-corruption-chen-weijun-joins-list-senior-xinjiang-officials-investigated?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 11:25:10 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang A local government official in northeast China has been accused of covering up a fishing boat accident and preventing the vessel’s owner from calling the police for help, in an incident that led to the exposure of a series of corruption cases related to fishing industry safety. The accident took place on November 10. A boat registered in Yingkou, Liaoning province, capsized while crew members were fishing, causing 11 to fall into the water. Two were rescued and nine were reported missing,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3334455/deadly-boat-accident-cover-reveals-corruption-chinas-fishing-industry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3334455/deadly-boat-accident-cover-reveals-corruption-chinas-fishing-industry?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 06:00:16 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Corrupt local officials in China are manipulating collective decision-making procedures for personal gain and to mask their activities, state media has warned. A report published on Wednesday highlighted examples of behind-the-scenes manipulation where subordinates were told how to vote in advance, and of collusion between corrupt officials or sham public consultations. “In recent years, to standardise collective decision-making, systematic procedures and requirements were introduced in many... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3334189/corrupt-chinese-officials-hold-sham-votes-approve-projects-state-media-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3334189/corrupt-chinese-officials-hold-sham-votes-approve-projects-state-media-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 02:00:16 +0000 Yuanyue Dang,William Zheng Yuanyue Dang,William Zheng Even for the anti-graft era of President Xi Jinping, the wave of investigations into alleged corruption in the Chinese military over the past three years has been exceptional. Last month, nine senior People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officers were expelled from the Communist Party and the military, including He Weidong, formerly China’s second-highest-ranking military officer. They are accused of having “violated party discipline and allegedly committed serious crimes related to their duties” –... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3332692/top-pla-heads-have-rolled-chinas-hunt-corrupt-military-officials-may-be-here-stay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3332692/top-pla-heads-have-rolled-chinas-hunt-corrupt-military-officials-may-be-here-stay?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 22:00:23 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei The PLA has banned four leading Chinese universities from tendering for military projects, accusing them of bid-rigging, as Beijing presses on with its anti-corruption drive in the armed forces. The procurement website of the People’s Liberation Army, the biggest defence purchasing platform open to the public, released four notices on Sunday accusing the universities of colluding on bids for the same project. According to the notices, the universities rigged their bids for a project for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3332469/pla-bans-4-chinese-universities-procurement-process-bid-rigging?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3332469/pla-bans-4-chinese-universities-procurement-process-bid-rigging?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 08:13:28 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei A senior Chinese general has called for the military to be prepared to “live a tight life” and cut costs on multiple fronts in an elaboration of the 15th five-year plan. The remarks by Qiu Yang, deputy director of the General Office of the Central Military Commission, were made in an article published last week and included in a supplementary reader for the Communist Party’s policy recommendations on the five-year plan covering 2026-2030. The recommendations were issued following the closing of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3331673/pla-urged-live-tight-life-top-officials-elaborate-chinas-5-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3331673/pla-urged-live-tight-life-top-officials-elaborate-chinas-5-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Nov 2025 21:00:09 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei Beijing expelled a former senior official with an aerospace background and a military auditor from the top national legislature on Tuesday amid its deepening anti-corruption drive. The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress said on Tuesday that five officials had been removed from their NPC duties. The most senior of them is Xu Dazhe, former Communist Party secretary of Hunan province. The NPC did not say if he was under investigation for corruption but Xu, who left the party... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3330743/china-expels-former-aerospace-boss-and-military-auditor-top-legislature-and-others?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3330743/china-expels-former-aerospace-boss-and-military-auditor-top-legislature-and-others?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Oct 2025 07:06:15 +0000 William Zheng,Alcott Wei William Zheng,Alcott Wei China’s military mouthpiece has described political loyalty and fighting corruption as crucial for winning wars, a day after a Communist Party conclave endorsed a reshuffle and anti-corruption drive in the armed forces. At the fourth plenum of the party’s Central Committee, which concluded on Thursday, the military’s anti-corruption chief, Zhang Shengmin, was promoted to vice-chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC) headed by President Xi Jinping. Party leaders also endorsed... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3330257/win-wars-pla-must-fight-corruption-chinas-military-mouthpiece-declares?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3330257/win-wars-pla-must-fight-corruption-chinas-military-mouthpiece-declares?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Oct 2025 12:00:09 +0000 Yuanyue Dang,Alcott Wei,William Zheng Yuanyue Dang,Alcott Wei,William Zheng China has promoted Zhang Shengmin, the military’s anti-graft chief, to vice-chair of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), which is headed by President Xi Jinping. And Zhang Fengzhong, a senior general with the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, has been placed under investigation for corruption, according to a communique of the fourth plenary session of the Communist Party’s Central Committee, which concluded on Thursday. Zhang Fengzhong was an alternate member of the Central... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3330061/china-makes-anti-graft-chief-zhang-shengmin-vice-chair-central-military-commission?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3330061/china-makes-anti-graft-chief-zhang-shengmin-vice-chair-central-military-commission?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Oct 2025 09:05:15 +0000