Senior Chinese military official Miao Hua under investigation, defense ministry says

BEIJING — 

China said connected Thursday a top-ranking subject authoritative had been suspended and was nether probe for "serious violations of discipline," and denied reports Defense Minister Dong Jun was being investigated for corruption.

The suspended officer, Admiral Miao Hua, served connected the ruling Central Military Commission, China's highest-level subject bid body, and was stationed successful the coastal state of Fujian erstwhile President Xi Jinping worked determination arsenic a section official, according to his authoritative biography.

Miao, 69, who began his vocation successful the army, has been the military's starring governmental serviceman fixed his relation connected the six-person commission, which is headed by Xi.

A defence ministry spokesperson, Wu Qian, who briefed reporters astatine a monthly property league successful Beijing, provided nary further details.

China's subject has undergone a sweeping anti-corruption purge since past year, with astatine slightest 9 People's Liberation Army generals and a fistful of defence manufacture executives removed from the nationalist legislative body.

Wu said media reports that Dong had been sidelined by an probe were "sheer fabrication" dispersed by rumor-mongers with evil motivations.

The Financial Times reported this week that Dong was being investigated arsenic portion of the wide-ranging anti-corruption investigation, citing existent and erstwhile U.S. officials.

Two U.S. officials told Reuters they believed Dong was being investigated for corruption. Another urged caution astir that conclusion.

Dong had declined past week to conscionable U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a gathering of defence ministers successful Laos, citing U.S. actions implicit Taiwan, a determination the Pentagon main said connected Wednesday was unfortunate.

Asked astir the determination not to conscionable Austin, Wu cited Dong by sanction arsenic saying the United States had been "seriously undermining determination bid and stability."

Dong was appointed defence curate successful December 2023, replacing Li Shangfu, who was removed aft 7 months.

Li and his predecessor, Wei Fenghe, were expelled from the Communist Party successful June for "serious violations of discipline," a euphemism for corruption.

Many of those ousted earlier were from the Rocket Force - an elite limb of the PLA that oversees its astir precocious accepted and atomic missiles.

Analysts said astatine the clip that exposing deep-set graft could instrumentality clip and perchance dilatory Xi's long-running subject modernisation plans.

Diplomats and analysts are watching intimately for immoderate signs the run could hamper ongoing subject operations, commands and the PLA's diplomacy.

China information student James Char said connected Thursday that Miao was a Xi "acolyte."

"Clearly, Xi Jinping's spot successful yet different of his uniformed subordinates has been misplaced," said Char, of Singapore's S.Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

"If Miao Hua is yet recovered guilty, the CMC Chairman himself astir apt failed to size up the grade of corruption among China's subject elites."

The latest Pentagon study connected China's military, issued successful October 2023, said Miao "may person ties" to Xi from his clip successful Fujian.