China's two former defense ministers expelled from the Communist Party
On Thursday (June 27, 2024), two former Chinese State Councilors and Defense Ministers, Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe, were expelled from the Party and the military. Their suspected crimes were also transferred to the military procuratorate for review and prosecution in accordance with the law. This means that Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe will not be able to escape prison.
According to China's official media CCTV, the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China reviewed and approved the "Report on the Review Results and Handling Opinions on Li Shangfu's Issues" and "Report on the Review Results and Handling Opinions on Wei Fenghe's Issues" of the Central Military Commission on June 27, and decided to expel Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe from the party and terminate their qualifications as representatives of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Previously, the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China had decided to expel Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe from the military, cancel Li Shangfu's rank of Army General and Wei Fenghe's rank of Rocket Force General.
It has been found that Li Shangfu seriously violated political discipline, failed to fulfill his political responsibility of comprehensively and strictly governing the party, and resisted organizational review; seriously violated organizational discipline, illegally sought personnel benefits for himself and others; used his position to seek benefits for others and accepted huge sums of money, suspected of bribery; gave money to others in order to seek improper benefits, suspected of bribery. The review and investigation also found clues to Li Shangfu's other serious violations of discipline and law.
The report said that Li Shangfu, as a senior leader of the Party and the military, betrayed his original mission and lost his party spirit and principles. His behavior betrayed the trust of the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission, seriously polluted the political ecology and industry atmosphere in the field of military equipment, and caused great damage to the Party's cause, national defense and military construction, as well as the image of senior leaders. The nature of his behavior is extremely serious, the impact is extremely bad, and the harm is particularly huge.
Li Shangfu, 66, was formerly the commander of the Xichang Satellite Launch Center of the People's Liberation Army, deputy director of the General Armament Department, and director of the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission. After the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2022, Li Shangfu became a member of the Central Military Commission. In March 2023, he replaced Wei Fenghe as the State Councilor and Minister of National Defense. In late July of the same year, Li Shangfu disappeared from public view. It is reported that Li Shangfu was involved in the high-level cases of the Rocket Force and some military-industrial enterprises and was investigated.
Less than a month after Li Shangfu was investigated, his predecessor Wei Fenghe was also investigated. Wei Fenghe, 70 years old this year, was the commander of the Second Artillery Corps of the People's Liberation Army (the predecessor of the Rocket Force) and the commander of the Rocket Force. After the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2017, he became a member of the Central Military Commission, State Councilor and Minister of National Defense.
According to reports, on September 21, 2023, the CPC Central Committee decided that the Military Commission's Discipline Inspection and Supervision Commission would investigate Wei Fenghe's serious violations of discipline and law. It has been found that Wei Fenghe seriously violated political discipline, failed to fulfill the political responsibility of comprehensively and strictly governing the Party, and resisted organizational review; seriously violated organizational discipline and illegally sought personnel benefits for others; seriously violated integrity discipline and illegally accepted gifts and cash; used his position to seek benefits for others and accepted huge sums of money, suspected of bribery. The investigation also found clues of Wei Fenghe and other serious violations of discipline and law. As a senior leader of the Party and the military, Wei Fenghe's faith collapsed and his loyalty was lost. His behavior failed the trust of the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission, seriously polluted the political ecology of the troops, and caused great damage to the Party's cause, national defense and military construction, as well as the image of senior leaders. The nature is extremely serious, the impact is extremely bad, and the harm is particularly huge.
Analysts pointed out that from the official characterization of the cases of Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe, the two cases may be related. Among them, Li Shangfu's crimes include illegally seeking personnel benefits for himself and others, giving money to others to seek improper benefits, and suspected of bribery. The high-ranking official who could make Li Shangfu bribe must be in a high position and with great power, and the bribery targets may include his predecessor Wei Fenghe.
At the same time, Wei Fenghe's crimes include using his position to seek benefits for others and accepting huge sums of money, suspected of bribery. His behavior has failed the trust of the CPC Central Committee and the Central Military Commission and seriously polluted the political ecology of the troops. This shows that Wei Fenghe may have illegally promoted senior officials of the Rocket Force during his time in charge of the Rocket Force and as a member of the Central Military Commission, State Councilor and Minister of National Defense, and even recommended Li Shangfu to succeed him.
In December 2023, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China dismissed the National People's Congress representatives of nine senior military generals suspected of serious violations of discipline and law, including two former commanders of the Rocket Force, Li Yuchao, Zhou Yaning and other Rocket Force generals, as well as two former deputy ministers of the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission, Zhang Yulin and Rao Wenmin.
At the same time, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference revoked the membership of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference of three military industrial enterprise leaders, including Wu Yansheng, chairman of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. It is reported that the incidents of Zhang Yulin, Rao Wenmin, Wu Yansheng and others are related to the Li Shangfu case.