Chinese generals 'fell from power' because of money

Chinese President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign is sweeping the military, with the arrest or prosecution of many once-prominent generals now suspected of taking bribes.

Tuan Son Cup

Mr. Coc Tuan Son. Photo: mwr.gov.cn

Xinhua reported on March 31 that Lieutenant General Gu Junshan, former deputy director of the General Logistics Department of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), was prosecuted by a military court on charges of corruption, bribery, and abuse of public funds and power. The case shocked Chinese public opinion at the time because of the large amount of assets seized from his private home.

Twenty paramilitary officers were mobilized to confiscate items from Gu's home. Among them were a solid gold statue of Chairman Mao Zedong, a wash basin, a gold model boat, and several cases of Maotai, China's most expensive liquor. The total amount of luxury goods was enough to fill four trucks.

The two houses next to the family villa are owned by Gu’s two brothers. The three houses are connected by a cellar more than 30 meters long, containing many expensive wines. Most of the bottles are still intact because Gu has not lived there for many years, Caixin magazine reported.

Gu was responsible for military infrastructure and real estate before becoming deputy director of the General Logistics Department. He was detained on January 19, 2012, for investigation on charges of "economic violations," a euphemism for corruption. His name was removed from the General Logistics Department's website a month later.

Mr. Gu owned several important properties and dozens of apartments, each measuring nearly 200 square meters, on the Second Ring Road in downtown Beijing. The former army logistics general once told investigators that he intended to use them as gifts.

One of Gu’s most famous business deals was the No. 7 villa plot in Diaoyutai District, central Beijing. The plot originally belonged to a state-owned enterprise, but was requisitioned by the military for scientific research purposes. In 2007, the plot was transferred to Zhonghe Group, which converted it into a luxury apartment complex, with a listed price of 300,000 yuan per square meter, equivalent to $37,500 at the time.

Tu Tai Hau

General Xu Caihou, former vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission. Photo: Reuters

Xinhua reported in late June that Senior General Xu Caihou, former vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, was charged with bribery, expelled from the Chinese Communist Party, and stripped of his military position.

According to the investigation, Mr. Xu "abused his power, helped others get promoted and accepted bribes directly or through his family, and used his position to influence others for personal gain." The former member of the Chinese Politburo will be handed over to a military court for trial.

On October 28, a military prosecutor said that Xu Caihou had formally admitted to accepting bribes. Prosecutors have completed their investigation and are preparing documents related to the case.

Throughout his career, Xu rose through the ranks of the military and the party. He joined the army in 1963 and the party in 1971. A year later, he became secretary and deputy director of the political committee of the army commander in northeastern Jilin Province. He was appointed to senior positions in the Central Military Commission in the 1990s.

He retired from the Central Military Commission last year and left the Politburo in 2012. He is one of the most senior military officials to be brought down in Chinese President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign.

Phoenix Weekly reported yesterday that in March, prosecutors searched Mr. Xu's luxury villa in Beijing and discovered more than a ton of US dollars, euros and yuan in the basement.

The former Politburo member also had amassed a huge stash of expensive gems and jade as well as rare antiques, the magazine added, citing a source familiar with the matter and close to senior military officials. Authorities had to mobilize more than 10 military trucks to transport the assets, which were “piled up like a mountain,” the magazine revealed.

Diep Van Dung, Ve Tan

Mr. Diep Van Dung. Photo: SCMP

Two senior Chinese military officials with ties to Sichuan province have been arrested as part of a broader government investigation into corruption within the military, the South China Morning Post reported on June 26.

One of the two military officials arrested is Ye Wanyong, in his 60s, former political commissar of the Sichuan Military Region. On June 25, he was stripped of his membership in the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country’s top political advisory body. Multiple sources said that Ye Wanyong’s home was also searched by authorities.

Mr. Ve Tan. Photo: Molihua

The other is Major General Wei Jin, 55, deputy political commissar of the Tibet Military Region. Wei has held many important military positions in Sichuan Province, southwest China, including as a senior propaganda officer in Chengdu City, the capital of Sichuan Province.

Duong Kim Son

On July 18, SCMP reported that Lieutenant General Yang Jinshan, 60, deputy commander of the Chengdu Military Region and member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, was arrested in an anti-corruption case. Yang was taken to Beijing while his family members and secretary were detained. This move is believed to be related to the investigation into the corruption case of General Xu Caihou.

Mr. Duong Kim Son. Photo: China News

In addition to the generals in the military, on July 29, the information agency of the Chinese Communist Party also announced that Mr. Zhou Yongkang, former member of the Politburo Standing Committee, was officially investigated for suspected "serious violations of discipline". This phrase is often used in China to refer to corruption.

This is a bold move by President Xi Jinping, according to analysts inside and outside China. This statement ends a long-standing unwritten rule that senior leaders with seats in the Politburo Standing Committee are immune from disciplinary action and are inviolable before law enforcement agencies.

According to VnExpress