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Admiral Dong Jun, who was named as the new head of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in December 2023, following the sudden dismissal of his predecessor, General Li Shangfu, due to corruption allegations, is now being investigated as part of a broader probe into graft within the PLA, according to US officials with knowledge of the matter.
The investigation into Dong marks the third consecutive serving or former defence minister to be scrutinized for alleged corruption, sparking concerns about the entrenched corruption within the PLA and the ability of President Xi Jinping to root it out.
Dong’s predecessor, General Li Shangfu, was ousted after a mere seven months in the job, a tenure so brief that it raised eyebrows among military analysts and sparked speculation about the reasons behind his sudden dismissal. Both men were appointed by President Xi Jinping, who has been attempting to assert his control over the PLA, but the frequent changes in leadership have raised questions about his ability to do so effectively.
The Financial Times was the first to report that US officials believed Li was under investigation for corruption, following a series of allegations about his involvement in corrupt practices, including embezzlement and nepotism. Li had succeeded Wei Fenghe, who was also placed under investigation for corruption after he had retired from the role, sparking concerns about the pervasive nature of corruption within the PLA.
According to a senior US official, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, Xi is conducting a wave of investigations into the PLA that has ensnared Dong, but it remains unclear what kind of corruption allegations he is facing, as the Chinese government has yet to release any information about the investigation.
China’s embassy in Washington declined to comment on the matter, fueling speculation about the nature of the investigation and the potential consequences for Dong and the PLA.
The news comes a week after Dong attended an Asian defence meeting in Laos, where he refused to meet US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, a rebuff that Austin described as “unfortunate” and which has sparked concerns about the deteriorating relationship between the two countries.
The tension between the two militaries has been escalating in recent months, following a series of incidents, including a Chinese fighter jet intercepting a US spy plane and the US approving a package of weapons for Taiwan, including advanced surface-to-air missiles, which China has warned could destabilize the region.
China’s defence ministry blamed the US for the rebuff, saying that Washington was “solely responsible” for the deteriorating relationship between the two countries, a claim that has been rejected by the US, which has said that it is committed to maintaining a peaceful and stable relationship with China.
The dispute came days after US President Joe Biden and Xi met at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Peru and reiterated that their militaries should continue to hold direct communications, a commitment that has been put to the test in recent days, following the series of incidents and the investigation into Dong.
China shut down military communication channels with the US in August 2022, after Nancy Pelosi became the first Speaker of the US House of Representatives to visit Taiwan in 25 years, a move that was seen as a provocation by China and has led to a significant escalation in tensions between the two countries.
Xi agreed to reopen the channels when he held a summit with Biden in San Francisco a year ago, paving the way for Dong and Austin to meet, but the tensions between the two countries remain high, following the recent incidents and the investigation into Dong.
US military officers and officials have suggested that the investigations into the PLA are undermining Xi’s confidence in his military and raising questions about whether it would develop the capability to invade Taiwan by 2027, a goal that Xi has set for the PLA, but which is increasingly seen as ambitious and perhaps unrealistic.
Unlike the role of defence secretary in the US government, the defence minister in China is not the most powerful military figure in the Chinese system, which is headed by the vice-chairs of the Central Military Commission, but the role is still seen as critical in terms of the relationship between the PLA and the international community.
Earlier this year, Dong was not appointed to the CMC as expected, in an unusual development that raised questions about his tenure and sparked speculation about his future role in the PLA.
