BEIJING: Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun has been placed under investigation for corruption, a report said on Wednesday, which would make him the latest official to fall in a sweeping crackdown on graft in the country’s military.

Citing current and former US officials familiar with the situation, British newspaper the Financial Times said the investigation into Dong was part of that broader probe into military corruption.

If confirmed, Dong would be the third Chinese defence minister in a row to fall under investigation for corruption.

Asked about the report at a regular briefing on Wednesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said it was just “chasing shadows” and did not offer further information.

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A former navy commander, he was appointed defence minister in December following the surprise removal of predecessor Li Shangfu just seven months into the job. Li was later expelled from the ruling Communist Party for offences including suspected bribery, state media said. He has not been seen in public since.

His predecessor, Wei Fenghe, was also kicked out of the party and passed on to prosecutors over alleged corruption.

Beijing has deepened a crackdown on alleged graft in the armed forces over the past year.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2024