Dong Jun, who was appointed defense minister last December, is reportedly placed under investigation for corruption.
The Chinese regime has rejected claims that its defense minister, Adm. Dong Jun, is under investigation for corruption. Experts say the emergence of such speculations signals brewing power struggles within the Chinese military.
“It’s just shadow chasing,” Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told reporters on Nov. 27 when asked about the purported investigation into Dong.
Citing unnamed current and former U.S. officials, the Financial Times (FT)
reported on Nov. 27 that China is probing its current defense minister. Though the specific corruption allegations against Dong remain unclear, the report added that the probe was a part of a larger anti-graft campaign targeting the Chinese military.
The sweeping campaign has led to the ousting of more than a dozen senior military officers and leaders from China’s biggest defense-technology firms, including Dong’s immediate predecessor, Li Shangfu, who was fired last
October following two months of unexplained disappearance.
Dong was last seen in public on Nov. 21, when he attended security talks in Laos with defense chiefs from Southeast Asia. Although U.S. Secretary of Defense
Lloyd Austin also participated in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathering, the two didn’t have a one-on-one meeting, because Dong opted out of such engagement.
Dong, a former navy chief, was appointed to head China’s defense ministry last
December. Within China’s ruling system, this position often plays a ceremonial role, focused on managing diplomatic relations with foreign armed forces. The real command power, however, lies within the hands of the Central Military Commission (CMC), which is led by Xi Jinping, the top leader of the Communist Party.
Almost a year into his role, Dong’s absence from the military decision-making body—as has been traditional among defense ministers—has
raised eyebrows among outside observers. Some speculate that a power struggle in the Chinese military might be brewing beneath the surface.
“Despite being chosen by Xi to be defense minister, Dong’s lack of a seat at the CMC hints that he is not accepted by the military,”
Su Tzu-yun, an expert on the Chinese military at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), a Taipei-based think tank that is funded by the Taiwanese government, told The Epoch Times.
Cai Shenkun, an independent China commentator, also weighed in on the situation, saying Beijing’s brief response hints that Dong is “most likely” under investigation.
“If Dong Jun is safe and sound, the foreign ministry can say that it is a rumor and a hostile force maliciously slandering China’s Minister of Defense. Dong Jun can also sue the FT,” Cai
wrote on the social media platform X.
By contrast,
Ou Si-Fu, an expert on China’s defense and military from INDSR, interpreted Beijing’s response as a subtle denial of any investigation into Dong.
However, Ou told The Epoch Times that if the rumors hold any truth, they raise questions about Xi’s trust in his military, particularly since Dong was promoted by Xi himself. Ou predicts that such developments may “severely impact” the morale of the Chinese armed forces.
Regardless of the veracity of these rumors, their emergence has already raised questions about the effectiveness of Xi’s anti-graft crackdown and the stability of his power, according to Su.
“Xi Jinping has launched an anti-graft campaign since his tenure began, yet corruption remains a persistent challenge within the Chinese Communist Party,” Su said.
“Nevertheless, there are indeed signs that Xi Jinping’s grip on power is waning.”
Luo Ya contributed to this report.
