China expelled two former defence ministers from the Communist party on Thursday over corruption allegations, the latest sign of a covert crackdown targeting the country’s elite.
The measures against Li Shang-fu and his predecessor Wei Feng-he follow a series of changes at the top of the world’s largest military. Li was removed from his post last year after disappearing without explanation. The apparent purge comes as China is at odds with the United States over the fate of Taiwan and as increasingly powerful President Xi Jinping consolidates his leadership.
China’s state-run news agency announced early Thursday that both former defence ministers Li and Wei had been expelled from the party leadership for “serious violations of party discipline and the law”.
The two men have been stripped of their qualifications to serve as delegates to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, state media reported, citing a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
Xinhua reported that the party’s disciplinary oversight body launched an investigation into Li in August last year and found that he had “seriously violated political and organizational discipline.”
“He improperly obtained benefits for himself and others through personnel transfers, used his position to seek benefits for others, and received large amounts of money and goods in return. He is suspected of committing bribery,” the report said.
Li, who was appointed defense minister in March last year when President Xi Jinping began his unprecedented third term in power, had disappeared from public view for several months since the end of August.
Li’s abrupt dismissal as defense minister was announced last October, months after his absence sparked widespread speculation about his fate. He was also stripped of his State Councillor position, a rare move to remove an official from the Communist Party’s inner circle.
Li’s predecessor as defense minister, Wei, was similarly charged on Thursday with “accepting money or gifts in violation of relevant regulations.”
State media said their actions, both as senior party and military officials, were “extremely serious, with very harmful implications and enormous damage.”
State media reported that both cases had been “sent to military prosecutors for investigation and prosecution.”
Little is known about their whereabouts or their response to the bribery allegations.
