President Xi Jinping’s ongoing purge of China’s military leadership has taken a significant turn, with the investigation of Miao Hua, a high-ranking navy official and Xi loyalist, suggesting deeper issues within the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) than previously thought, Bloomberg reports.
The Defense Ministry announced last week that Miao, the PLA’s fifth-highest-ranking official, is under investigation for “serious violations of discipline.” This follows a series of investigations launched last summer that have already ensnared two former defense ministers and significantly weakened the leadership of the Rocket Force, responsible for China’s nuclear arsenal.
Miao’s case is particularly noteworthy because he rose through the PLA ranks under Xi’s direct patronage. His suspension, alongside the recent downfall of former Defense Minister Li Shangfu, leaves the Central Military Commission (CMC), the highest military body, with an unprecedented number of vacancies.
Joel Wuthnow, a senior research fellow at the National Defense University’s Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs, interprets Miao’s investigation as revealing a broader lack of confidence in the PLA extending beyond the Rocket Force. He suggests Xi’s frustration stems from the perceived unreliability of officials he himself appointed to the CMC.
Xi’s previous purge of senior PLA generals around a decade ago targeted associates of Bo Xilai, a political rival. That three-year campaign, framed as an anti-corruption drive, removed four CMC officials deemed disloyal. However, the current situation differs significantly. Xi, having consolidated power in his unprecedented third term, doesn’t appear to be facing a direct power struggle.
US intelligence officials believe the current purges began after revelations of widespread corruption undermining the effectiveness of China’s missile capabilities. Miao’s removal, given his CMC role in fostering political loyalty and managing personnel, points to a widening circle of mistrust within the armed forces. This is particularly concerning as Xi intensifies military drills around Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory.
Analysts at the China Maritime Studies Institute note the inherently political nature of corruption investigations within the PLA, highlighting the difficulty of separating corruption from systemic issues. The historical context shows that purges in China are often politically driven, as demonstrated by Xi’s previous campaign that targeted former security czar Zhou Yongkang and two former CMC vice chairs, Xu Caihou and Guo Boxiong.
While the current purges target lower-ranking CMC officials appointed by Xi himself (in contrast to the previous purges which targeted officials appointed by Xi’s predecessors), the scope appears broader, affecting at least nine officials within the defense industrial complex. This suggests deeply entrenched problems that Xi struggles to eliminate, even among long-time associates. Miao, who worked alongside Xi in Fujian province, wasn’t promoted after the 2022 Party Congress, a sign of his diminished standing within Xi’s inner circle.
The recent reports of an investigation into the current Defense Minister, Dong Jun, were dismissed by the ministry as “pure fabrication,” with Dong making a public appearance in Shanghai this week.
