China’s Defence Minister, Dong Jun, has come under investigation as part of a sweeping anti-corruption campaign targeting senior ranks of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.
According to the report, Dong is the third consecutive Chinese defence minister, either serving or former, to face allegations of corruption. The Financial Times cited both current and former U.S. officials as sources for its information.
During a routine press briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning dismissed the report, describing it as “chasing shadows.” Meanwhile, the Chinese defence ministry has not responded to Reuters’ requests for comment.
Since last year, China’s military has experienced a significant anti-corruption crackdown, resulting in the removal of at least nine PLA generals and several defence industry executives from the national legislative body.
Dong, a former PLA Navy chief, assumed his role as defence minister in December 2023. He succeeded Li Shangfu, who was removed after just seven months in office.
Last week, Dong declined to meet with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at a defence ministers’ meeting in Laos, citing U.S. actions regarding Taiwan. Austin referred to Dong’s refusal as “unfortunate.”
As defence minister, Dong has been responsible for managing China’s military diplomacy. His tenure included overseeing a recent improvement in U.S.-China military relations, highlighted by the first theatre-level commander talks in September. However, Dong was notably excluded from the six-member Central Military Commission (CMC)—China’s highest military decision-making body—during a major Communist Party plenum earlier this year.
Traditionally, the defence minister is a member of both the CMC, chaired by Chinese President Xi Jinping, and the State Council, China’s executive cabinet. However, Dong was not appointed to the State Council during a government reshuffle in March.
Commenting on the investigation, Dennis Wilder, a professor at Georgetown University and a former U.S. intelligence analyst, said: “Frankly, nothing would surprise me anymore. Historically, corruption investigations within the PLA often reveal deeper, systemic issues.”
Dong’s immediate predecessors, Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe, were expelled from the Communist Party in June for “serious violations of discipline,” a term often used as a euphemism for corruption.
A Communist Party statement accused the two former officials of betraying the party’s trust and causing significant harm to the military’s political environment and the image of its leadership. The statement further alleged that both men had accepted massive bribes and facilitated promotions or higher ranks for others.
Last year, Reuters reported that Li was under investigation for suspected corruption in military procurement. Wei, who previously led the PLA Rocket Force between 2015 and 2017, disappeared from public view following his replacement during the March 2023 cabinet reshuffle.
The ongoing anti-corruption campaign underscores the Chinese leadership’s efforts to address entrenched graft within the military, though the implications for the country’s broader political and defence strategy remain uncertain.
