Chinese defense minister appears after reportedly being under investigation

Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun surfaced in Shanghai this week, days after he was reported to be the third defense minister probed for corruption.

Adm. Dong was shown in the official state media outlet Xinhua attending a security conference and was quoted as saying China’s navy is willing to work with regional navies in securing the Gulf of Guinea, a waterway on the east coast of Africa.

The admiral’s appearance followed a Nov. 26 report in the Financial Times that said he had been placed under investigation as part of a wider probe into corruption within the People’s Liberation Army.

Adm. Dong was said to be the third defense minister to come under suspicion of corruption. He succeeded Gen. Li Shangfu, who was fired from the post for alleged corruption.

Gen. Li succeeded Gen. Wei Fenghi, who also was investigated for corruption after he was removed as defense minister.

At the Shanghai conference, Adm. Dong was shown in uniform in photos published by CCTV state television.

The Financial Times report appears to have mistakenly reported Adm. Dong’s ouster instead of another high-ranking PLA officer who is reportedly under investigation for corruption.

A day after the Chinese Foreign Ministry said reports of Adm. Dong being investigated were “groundless,” the Chinese Defense Ministry reported that a senior general, Gen. Miao Hua, was under investigation for alleged improprieties.

Gen. Miao is one of the most powerful generals in the PLA and is part of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Military Commission, the organ that controls the PLA. He is in charge of ideological work within the PLA and responsible for promotions.

The PLA in the past was rife with corruption related to officer promotions. Many senior military officers were promoted to higher rank and greater responsibility after paying large sums to top generals and admirals.

Ending alleged corruption within the PLA and loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party have been major themes for Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is chairman of the Central Military Commission.

Mr. Xi delivered that message Wednesday in an address to the newly formed PLA Information Support Force, CCTV reported.

“[We should] select and strengthen party committees at all levels, build strong command centers and combat fortresses at the front line,” Mr. Xi said.

“We must ensure the troops are absolutely loyal, absolutely pure and absolutely reliable.”

Mr. Xi also called for “grass-roots construction of the military, and maintain formal order, safety and stability among the troops.”

Until Thursday, Adm. Dong had not appeared in public for two weeks and was last seen at an Asian defense conference in Laos.

Adm. Dong turned down a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in what Beijing said was anger over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.

The failure to meet with Mr. Austin was a setback for what critics say is a feckless effort by the Pentagon to build trust with PLA leaders through meetings and other communications.

China’s new Information Support Force was created in April as an offshoot of the now-disbanded Strategic Support Force. Its role is to conduct information gathering and sharing and information warfare.

“The form of warfare has evolved rapidly, along with the swift unfolding of a new round of technology and military revolution. The network information system has gained unprecedented prominence in modern warfare,” Mr. Xi said.

Information troops must understand the “extreme importance” of network information activities in supporting battle readiness, he said.

Mr. Xi has ordered the PLA to be ready to conduct military operations against Taiwan by 2027.

A U.S. defense official said the PLA isn’t ready for conducting the challenging operations across the 100-mile-wide Taiwan Strait but is making progress.

“They still have time” to prepare, the official said.