BTN News: China wants to make its army the best in the world. President Xi Jinping is leading this effort. He is spending a lot of money to buy and improve military equipment. This includes the Rocket Force, which handles nuclear and missile weapons. But there have been problems with corruption. Many top military officers are in trouble for taking bribes. This is a big issue for China’s military plans.
Key Officials and Their Allegations
Two important officers in trouble are Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe. Li was the Defense Minister. Before that, he was in charge of buying military equipment. Wei helped set up the Rocket Force and had a long career in the military. They are accused of taking and giving bribes. They are also accused of abusing their power. The Politburo, China’s top decision-making group, has listed these charges. This shows there are big problems in how the military buys equipment.
Long-Standing Problems in Military Buying System
Joel Wuthnow, a researcher at a US military university, says corruption is not new. There has been a long-time problem between state-owned arms factories and the military’s buying system. A study in 2018 showed issues in the bidding process for military equipment. This makes people doubt if the equipment is good and reliable.
Impact on Military Readiness and Trust
This corruption problem is bad for China’s military readiness. General He Weidong, a top military leader, talked about “false combat capabilities.” His comments were quickly censored, showing worry about the real state of the military. The fall of Li and Wei also hurts Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption efforts. He has tried to clean up corruption since he took power in 2012. But corruption at the top shows his efforts have not fully worked.
Future Plans and Reforms for the Military
Xi Jinping is still determined to remove corruption. He recently spoke to military leaders in Yan’an. This place is important in China’s history. He asked for more political cleanup in the military. He said that the military must be loyal to the party. This means there will be more changes to improve the military’s honesty and readiness.
Conclusion
Corruption in China’s military buying process is a big challenge. It affects China’s goal to modernize its army by 2035. Xi Jinping’s fight against corruption has made some progress. But ongoing issues show more changes are needed. Making sure the army is ready and reliable means fixing these deep problems. This will help China strengthen its military and its position in the world.
