Chinese Defence Minister Dong investigated for corruption
Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun listens during the ASEAN-China Defense Ministers’ informal Meeting in Vientiane, Laos, on Nov. 20, 2024
Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun has been put under investigation as part of a broader probe into a corruption-related scandal involving the People’s Liberation Army, the Financial Times reported Tuesday, citing U.S. officials.
Dong, an admiral who assumed the ministerial post in December last year, would be the third consecutive serving or former Chinese defence minister to be investigated for alleged corruption.
It remains unclear what kind of corruption allegations Dong is facing, the FT said.
His predecessor Gen. Li Shangfu was removed from the post in October last year, only seven months after he took the portfolio.
In June this year, the ruling Communist Party announced the expulsion of Li and his predecessor, Wei Fenghe, for serious disciplinary and legal violations related to corruption.
The move was seen as part of an anti-corruption drive aimed at further solidifying leader Xi Jinping’s power base.
Last week, Dong met with his Japanese counterpart Gen Nakatani in Laos on the sidelines of an annual regional security meeting. He served as navy commander between 2021 and 2023.
