China’s PLA Daily outlines image redemption checklist for political officers

China’s official military newspaper has urged the force’s political officers to rebuild their image by showing more loyalty to the top leadership, honesty in their work, and integrity in how they promote soldiers. The series of commentaries in the PLA Daily follows Beijing’s new disciplinary guidelines released on Monday to “eliminate toxic influences” in the work of political officers, after a string of high-profile military crackdowns. The latest events include the removal last month of top general Miao Hua from the Central Military Commission (CMC), China’s highest military command. Observers remarked that the guidelines and commentaries on improving the image and reputation of political cadres contained subtle clues about the misdeeds of the fallen generals, as well as Beijing’s expectations for political officials in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to address and repair the damage. The three-part series, titled “How to firmly establish the image and reputation of political cadres”, ran from Tuesday to Thursday on the front pages of the PLA Daily as well as its social media platforms. The first commentary stressed the importance of maintaining political loyalty to the Communist Party leadership. “Once loyalty is watered down or falsified, personal interest will overwhelm the collective good in the face of complex struggles and tests of interests, and [they] may even slide into the abyss, betraying both the original intention of joining the army and the party oath,” Tuesday’s edition said. To illustrate how political cadres must be “very clear-headed and firm in their stance”, the article cited a historical power struggle between Zhang Guotao, a former top communist army leader, and Mao Zedong during the Long March. “They must not be ambiguous in their attitude or vague in their stance in the face of major issues, and they must not speak with two mouths or show two faces,” it said. The second commentary in the series focused on truthfulness and honesty: “Telling the truth and reporting the facts are important manifestations of a political cadre’s impartiality and integrity.” Warning that “falsifying facts and avoiding problems” essentially showed a lack of responsibility caused by “impure party spirit and selfishness”, the article urged PLA officials to lead from the front by “promoting the spirit of struggle, telling the truth and reporting the facts”. Cadres should stand firm when taking responsibility and “decisively draw the sword when facing a fight” to establish an image that was principled, sincere and courageous in action, the commentary said. The third piece emphasised the importance of integrity in making personnel decisions. “Promoting those who are down to earth can inspire a large number of people; but promoting those who are opportunistic and scheming for power will discourage many others,” it said. The commentary reiterated Chinese President Xi Jinping’s directive that promotions should prioritise those with grass-roots and frontline experience who were recognised by the rank and file. Recommendations from political officials must follow established “principles, policies, rules and procedures”, it said. “[They must] not be burdened by personal relationships, trapped by connections or tempted by interests … We must truly discover good cadres in a timely manner and use them reasonably to ensure that the PLA always produces talent.” The dismissal of Miao Hua, who had overseen the PLA’s ideology work, followed the removal of former defence minister Li Shangfu from the CMC in October 2023. Li’s predecessor, Wei Fenghe, is also under investigation on suspicion of corruption and has been expelled from the party. He Weidong, the second-ranked vice-chairman of the CMC and one of the 24 members of the party’s Politburo, has not been seen in public since the end of the annual legislative session in March. He is the third most powerful commander in the PLA and is considered a close associate of Xi, who chairs the CMC. Last month, Vice-Admiral Li Hanjun, the navy’s chief of staff, was expelled from the national legislature – a clear sign that he was also facing disciplinary action. At least 16 military lawmakers have been removed from the National People’s Congress since its current term began in March 2023. Deng Yuwen, former deputy editor of the Central Party School’s official newspaper Study Times, said the PLA Daily commentaries and the new guidelines showed that Beijing was aware of the damage to the image and reputation of political cadres within the military and was trying to repair it. “Although the PLA Daily did not name anyone specifically, it is easy to see who they are referring to given the timing,” said Deng, who noted that both Miao and He had supervised political and personnel decisions at the CMC. “When the newspaper talked about loyalty and truthfulness in their work and integrity in promotions, it is very likely that major problems were found in these areas.” A Beijing-based political analyst agreed, adding that political work was the biggest factor that set the PLA apart from other militaries. Having political commissars oversee commanders was considered the biggest advantage for the party, ensuring its absolute control over military leadership, said the analyst, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter. “We should watch to see if the Politburo meeting at the end of July is going to announce more corruption crackdowns among the top generals ahead of their retreat in Beidaihe,” the analyst said. Top Chinese leaders traditionally head to the coastal resort in Beijing’s neighbouring Hebei province for a two-week summer break in early August.

China’s PLA Daily outlines image redemption checklist for political officers

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Front-page commentary series stressing honesty and integrity in promotions follows new guidelines issued by top military body

Front-page commentary series stressing honesty and integrity in promotions follows new guidelines issued by top military body