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How did top brains behind China’s advanced weapons become targets of its anti-graft push?
Acceleration of defence sector’s anti-corruption drive may be linked to the downfall of former defence minister Li Shangfu, analysts say
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Vanessa Caiin Shanghai
Some 10 years ago, rocket scientists and weapon engineers in China’s defence industry management were among President Xi Jinping’s most favoured talent pools, as he sought brainpower untainted by local factional corruption to support his ambitious technology drive.
Of the 24 men currently on the Politburo, the Communist Party’s decision-making body, three spent decades in the aerospace and defence industries and now oversee key regional economies or sectors on a national level.
As Beijing intensifies its anti-corruption campaign, the defence sector – crucial for producing China’s most advanced weapons and supporting its ambitious military modernisation goals – has seen an unprecedented surge in investigations against senior managers over the past two years.
The companies implicated include those behind the development of cutting-edge weapon systems for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), such as fighter jet manufacturers, missile producers and warship makers, raising concerns over the industry’s future development and the military’s combat capabilities.
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China sacks defence minister Li Shangfu with no explanation after nearly two-month absence
China sacks defence minister Li Shangfu with no explanation after nearly two-month absence
Late last month, industry and information technology minister Jin Zhuanglong was removed from his role as party chief of the ministry and scrubbed from a list of top leaders on the ministry website months after disappearing from the public eye.
However, there was no official announcement confirming an investigation, nor was it confirmed whether he had been formally replaced as minister.
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