China military calls for efforts to repair image after scandals

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China’s top military body has ordered a sweeping overhaul to restore the credibility of political leaders as the commission faces its largest vacancy in years following a series of corruption scandals.

The Central Military Commission (CMC) issued regulations in recent days to “comprehensively purge toxic influence and rebuild the image and credibility of political leaders”, the official People’s Liberation Army Daily reported on July 21 on its front page.

The regulations direct political leaders to “eradicate poison and eliminate malpractice”, according to the report, which did not elaborate. The term “liudu”, or widespread poison, is Communist Party parlance for serious offences involving factions of corrupt officials. It previously applied to the cliques of former security chief Zhou Yongkang and ousted Chongqing party boss Bo Xilai.

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The directive comes as corruption scandals have engulfed the world’s largest military by active personnel.

They have led to the downfall of two consecutive defense ministers and several officials with ties to the secretive Rocket Force. Former political commissar Miao Hua, who served on the elite Central Military Commission led by President Xi Jinping, was also removed from the CMC in June.

CMC Vice-Chairman He Weidong, also a Politburo member, has been absent from official events for months, though no public evidence of wrongdoing has emerged. If investigated, Mr He would become the most senior sitting defence official probed since Zhao Ziyang was ousted in 1989 for supporting students during the pro-democracy movement.