Beijing [China], October 19: China has made public a corruption investigation into a high-ranking general who has been missing for some time.
General He Weidong of the People's Liberation Army, who also served as vice chairman of the influential Central Military Commission, violated party discipline and is suspected of committing serious official crimes involving "exceptionally large sums of money," the Chinese Defence Ministry in Beijing said on Friday.
This latest bribery case has shaken the already corruption-plagued military of the People's Republic and reaches the highest levels of leadership.
He Weidong, 68, along with eight other senior military officials, will be expelled from the Communist Party and handed over to prosecutors for investigation, the ministry announced.
He was last seen publicly in March during the National People's Congress and has since been absent from numerous party events.
Within the Central Military Commission, the general served as vice chairman under Zhang Youxia, ranking just one level below the chairman of this top military leadership body, President and Party Leader Xi Jinping. He was also a member of the Politburo, placing him within a powerful leadership circle of the Communist Party.
Throughout 2023, Xi repeatedly reshuffled military personnel, including defence ministers, who hold a largely ceremonial role in China.
Source: Qatar Tribune
