Chinese defense minister placed under investigation for corruption, FT reports

BEIJING — Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun has been placed under investigation as part of a wide-ranging anti-corruption probe that has roiled the top ranks of the People's Liberation Army, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.

Dong is the third consecutive serving or former Chinese defense minister to be investigated for alleged corruption, the FT reported, citing current and former U.S. officials.

China's foreign and defense ministries did not immediately reply to Reuters requests for comment.

China's military has undergone a sweeping anti-corruption purge since last year, with nine PLA generals and at least four aerospace defense industry executives removed from the national legislative body to date.

Dong, a former PLA Navy chief, was appointed defense minister in December 2023. His predecessor, Li Shangfu, was removed after seven months into the job.

Dong last week declined to meet U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a meeting of defense ministers in Laos citing U.S. actions over Taiwan, a move the Pentagon chief said on Wednesday was unfortunate.

"Nothing would surprise me anymore," said Dennis Wilder, a professor at Georgetown University and former U.S. intelligence official on China.

"The history with these investigations in the PLA are that once the string of corruption is pulled many other threads are revealed and the sweater unravels."

© Thomson Reuters 2024.