Chinese Communist Party expels two former defense ministers on corruption charges

beijing China: The ruling Chinese Communist Party has expelled two former defence ministers as part of an ‘anti-corruption crackdown’, Al Jazeera reported, citing state media. The two fired former ministers are Defence Minister Li Shangfu, who was sacked after he went missing last year, and his predecessor Wei Fenghe.

Li and predecessor Wei Fenghe were expelled for “serious violations of party discipline and law”, the official news agency Xinhua reported on Thursday, coming at a time of rising tensions between China and the United States over the fate of Taiwan.

Li was set to be removed from his post in October 2023 after just a few months in office after disappearing from public view for nearly two months. His case had been referred to military prosecutors, potentially leading to a trial that could see him sentenced to life imprisonment, Xinhua reported. The powerful Politburo of senior party leaders met on Thursday to review Li’s status. They ruled that Li had “betrayed his original mission and lost the spirit and principles of his party”, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Li is accused of having “severely polluted the political atmosphere and industrial ethos in the field of military equipment, and caused great harm to the party’s cause, national defense and the building of the armed forces.” The former defense minister was also charged with bribery, suspected of “taking advantage of his position and accepting large sums of money to obtain benefits for others … and paying money to others to obtain improper benefits,” CCTV said.

According to Xinhua, Wei, who is due to retire as defense minister in 2023 after five years in office, has been charged with violating rules by accepting money and gifts and taking advantage of his position to benefit others, accepting money and valuables in return. Wei’s case has also been referred to military prosecutors. Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is also the party leader and leads the armed forces as chairman of the Central Military Commission, has made the fight against corruption a hallmark of his rule since taking power more than a decade ago, reports Al Jazeera. However, insiders have alleged that there has been a widespread purge of officials suspected of conspiring with external forces or being insufficiently loyal to Xi. High-ranking officials hold a high position in Chinese politics and can enjoy extensive privileges. Meanwhile, the CCP is scheduled to hold a much-awaited meeting on July 15-18 to focus on future strategies amid rising geopolitical tensions over tariff hikes by the US and the European Union. (ANI)