China recently removed three military industry leaders, according to the state mouthpiece CCTV.
On Dec. 27, China’s top advisory body removed from political posts three executives of state-owned missile producers: Wu Yansheng, chairman of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp; Wang Changqing, executive of China Aerospace Science & Industry Corp.; and Liu Shiquan, chairman of China North Industries Group Corp.
No reason was given for their removal. It was widely assumed to be related to the corruption probe of procurement of armament and equipment, involving former defense minister Li Shangfu who was removed in October without explanation. However, China expert Miles Yu commented it was Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s paranoid behavior that led to his distrust of his subordinates and thus the series of purges of the military top echelon.
Miles Yu, senior fellow and director of the China Center at the Hudson Institute, told the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times that Xi relies on the military leaders’ loyalty to control the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), which also relies on the loyalty of the subordinates to their commanders.
Speaking of how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) runs the country, the saying goes, “When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter,” Mr. Yu said, when a high-ranking military leader is purged, his subordinates or connections often suffer as well.
‘Xi Lacks Confidence’
Mr. Yu explained that individuals with a penchant for dictatorship tend to be uneasy about the stability of their political dealings.
Xi engages in constant purges to secure his own confidence, said Mr. Yu: “In essence, he lacks confidence in himself, leading to a perception of dissent among his subordinates. This aligns with the logic of dictators, a pattern observed in historical figures like Stalin and Mao Zedong. Xi Jinping is no different in this regard.”
In July 2022, the PLA Rocket Force faced a scandal involving corruption and leaked classified information among its top brass. Rocket Force Commander Li Yuchao was removed from his position, and several current and former high-ranking Rocket Force officials were implicated.
Li Shangfu, former head of the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission, was also implicated. He went missing at the end of August and was relieved of his position as Minister of National Defense in October.
He said: “If that’s the case, they could have found out his corruption cases, long before he was even given the position in charge of the equipment and the armament, even before the defense minister post.”
But most importantly, he said: “I think it also indicates Xi Jinping’s increasing paranoia over military disloyalty. This has been particularly acute after the Wagner insurrection in Russia. You can see that immediately after the Wagner insurrection in Russia, the PLA’s rocket force chiefs were all sacked.”
“This is another episode of Xi Jinping’s [paranoid] behavior,” said Mr. Yu.
During the podcast, Mr. Yu indicated that Mr. Li is a second-generation Red, a descendent of communist elites, which is what Xi is most worried about “because with that kind of credential … considering how many senior military officials have been sacked by Xi Jinping. It’s very likely, people like General Li with a perfect red credential could become the place to go to, for the disenchanted officers to basically vented their displeasure. So Li could potentially be a leader in this anti-Xi faction within the PLA.
“This is an endless cycle of purge after purge. It’s perfectly logical if you read Chinese Communist Party history,” said Mr. Yu.
Through multiple inquiries, The Epoch Times discovered two other top military executives have also been missing since August: Yuan Jie, chairman of the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation; and Chen Guoying, general manager of the Ordnance Equipment Group. Previous rumors indicated that both individuals were taken away for investigation.
