Li Shangfu

China’s top military officials face ‘ironclad’ rules in anti-corruption fight

Measures cover education, management and supervision of senior cadres and coincide with emphasis on study of Xi Jinping Thought.

28 May 2026 - 8:23PMvideocam

President Xi Jinping’s sweeping campaign to clean up corruption has gutted the senior ranks of the world’s second largest military. Photo: Xinhua

Dong Jun

China defence chief Dong Jun tipped to skip this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue

The regional security forum opens on Friday in Singapore with no official word yet on who will lead the Chinese delegation.

26 May 2026 - 9:17PMvideocam

Mainland China

Editorial | Suspended sentences reaffirm that no one is immune from China’s anti-graft drive

China needs a powerful military force to defend national interests at home and abroad. Tolerance of corruption is incompatible with that goal.

10 May 2026 - 6:45AM

Fate of China’s ex-defence heads shows party won’t allow disloyalty: state media

Editorial from Chinese military’s official newspaper marks the first time that Li Shangfu has been labelled a traitor.

9 May 2026 - 9:27AMvideocam

Li Shangfu (left) and Wei Fenghe have both been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve. Photo: AP/Reuters

SCMP Highlights

Shanghai’s expat population, Hong Kong trail sign fallout: 7 highlights

From the South Korean judge’s death to China debuting naval drone tech, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting.

8 May 2026 - 12:12PM

2 former Chinese defence ministers handed suspended death sentences

Sentences for Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu are the most severe for senior military officers since anti-corruption campaign began in 2012.

8 May 2026 - 12:33PMvideocam

Xi Jinping’s zero-fail mission for China’s military: total loyalty, no corruption

President underlines his strict ideological line to the PLA’s diminished delegation to the NPC.

7 Mar 2026 - 10:00PMvideocam

The PLA’s delegation to the NPC has shrunk from 281 members in 2023 to 243 this year. Photo: Reuters

What is China’s Central Military Commission and how does it function?

The downfall of two more members of the top command body has left just Xi Jinping and one other member active.

13 Feb 2026 - 3:12PMvideocam

Zhang Shengmin is the last uniformed general remaining on the commission. Photo: Handout

Top PLA Air Force duo miss key military event led by Xi as graft fight rolls on

Generals Chang Dingqiu and Guo Puxiao were not present at PLA promotions ceremony on Monday, footage broadcast by CCTV shows.

24 Dec 2025 - 6:00PMvideocam

Mainland China

Xi promotes PLA commanders overseeing Taiwan Strait, Beijing to full general

Announcements suggest the dust has begun to settle following a massive purge in the military over corruption concerns.

22 Dec 2025 - 10:43PMvideocam

Chinese military tightens review of weapons pricing to fight corruption

CMC Equipment Development Department releases new rules amid push for quality equipment and ‘professional ethics’.

19 Dec 2025 - 6:00PMvideocam

New procurement rules for the Chinese military dictate that troops should receive weapons and equipment that are combat-oriented, high quality and offer advanced performance. Photo: Xinhua

China’s air force

China’s military calls for tip-offs as it targets corruption in air force

Notice urges public to come forward with information about ‘irregular’ activities, the first such request for a specific military branch.

18 Dec 2025 - 10:00AMvideocam

PLA Air Force armament formations were on show in China’s September 3 military parade. Now, China’s military is calling for tips about procurement corruption within the air force. Photo: Xinhua

Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign

Why China’s rapid military build-up is ‘hardly the whole story’

The PLA has been moving fast to modernise its arsenal and warfare strategy, but it’s seen as ‘seriously deficient’ in some areas.

18 Dec 2025 - 6:03AM

Newcomers in charge at PLA’s corruption-hit command overseeing Taiwan

State media shows Yang Zhibin and Zhang Jichun at official event, suggesting they are heading the Eastern Theatre Command.

17 Dec 2025 - 6:48PMvideocam

China’s fourth plenum

How Xi’s ongoing battle against PLA corruption shapes China’s military future

The fight against graft in the armed forces is set to become one of the national priorities for the next five years.

14 Nov 2025 - 9:54AMvideocam

PLA bans 4 Chinese universities from procurement process for bid-rigging

Three of China’s ‘seven sons of national defence’ receive bans ranging from two years to ‘permanent’ amid Beijing’s anti-corruption drive.

12 Nov 2025 - 5:34PMvideocam

China’s fourth plenum

PLA urged to ‘live a tight life’ as top officials elaborate on 5-year plan

Senior Chinese general calls for cutting training, management and equipment support costs while improving procurement.

6 Nov 2025 - 5:00AM

China’s fourth plenum

China’s Communist Party kicks off fourth plenum amid tight security in Beijing

Xi Jinping delivers work report during first day of key conclave that will determine China’s development over the next five years.

20 Oct 2025 - 6:55PM

Security personnel stand guard at the entrance to the Jingxi Hotel in Beijing where the Communist Party’s Central Committee is holding its fourth plenum. Photo: AP

As fourth plenum looms, China braces for a major Central Committee shake-up

Reshuffle expected this month at top Communist Party body as more senior officials are sidelined by corruption investigations.

8 Oct 2025 - 6:35PMvideocam

A Chinese military band conductor in action at the closing ceremony of the National People’s Congress, in Beijing on March 11. Several senior members of the military have been ensnared in the anti-corruption drive spearheaded by President Xi Jinping. Photo: AP

Why were China’s generals missing in action during the Victory Day parade?

The senior military officials have had prominent roles in such events in 2019 and 2015, helping to put names to faces.

17 Sep 2025 - 9:00AMvideocam

China’s rocket force

China’s rocket force bans nearly 200 suppliers, evaluators after corruption probe

Partnerships terminated as investigators find cases of errors, collusive bidding and forgery dating back to 2016.

11 Sep 2025 - 4:30PMvideocam

The Front Line | As the world watches PLA approach 100, is it truly ‘capable of winning wars’?

On September 3, China’s steps towards ‘building a world-class military by the middle of the century’ will be more visible.

1 Sep 2025 - 7:17PMvideocam

China’s military

Ex-PLA ideology chief Miao Hua removed from China’s Central Military Commission

The news comes two months after top general was stripped of membership in legislature amid corruption investigation.

27 Jun 2025 - 6:02PM

The downfall of former PLA ideology chief Miao Hua, pictured, comes as President Xi Jinping continues to press ahead with his sweeping anti-corruption purge of China’s military. Photo: Handout

As the PLA adopts civilian technology, Chinese bureaucracy could hinder progress

The private sector is finally becoming a real force in defence procurement, but issues such as US sanctions, red tape and corruption remain.

11 Jun 2025 - 10:17AMvideocam