BEIJING: China’s Defence Minister Dong Jun has been placed under investigation as part of a wide-ranging anti-corruption probe, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Wednesday (Nov 27), citing current and former US officials.
If FT’s report is confirmed, Dong would be the third consecutive serving or former Chinese defence minister to be investigated for alleged corruption.
Reuters and AFP have sought comment from China’s foreign ministry.
China’s military has undergone a sweeping anti-corruption purge since last year, with nine People’s Liberation Army (PLA) generals and at least four aerospace defence industry executives removed from the national legislative body to date.
Dong, a former PLA Navy chief, was appointed defence minister in December 2023. His predecessor, Li Shangfu, was removed after seven months in the job.
As defence minister, Dong is responsible for China’s military diplomacy with other nations. He oversaw a recent thaw in US-China military-to-military ties, with both nations holding theatre-level commander talks for the first time in September.
But he declined to meet US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last week during a meeting of defence ministers in Laos – citing US actions over Taiwan – a move that the Pentagon chief said was unfortunate.
China’s defence minister has traditionally been a member of the six-member Central Military Commission (CMC), which is headed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, and the State Council, China’s Cabinet-level executive body.
But Dong was not promoted to the CMC, China’s highest-level military body, during a major Communist Party plenum earlier this year, where personnel reshuffles would normally be announced.
He was also not appointed to the State Council during a government reshuffle in March.
