On Tuesday (August 1), the 96th anniversary of the founding of the PLA, the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China issued an opinion on "Comprehensively Strengthening the Party Building of the Military", emphasizing the political loyalty and anti-corruption of the military. According to the analysis of military experts, comparing the rocket army's change of command on Monday and the rumors that the former chief and deputy commanders were investigated, it can be speculated that there may be political loyalty problems in the rocket army system, and it will be comprehensively rectified.
When the rocket army changed commanders and high-level officials were purged, the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China issued the "Opinions on Comprehensively Strengthening the Party Building of the Army Around the Achievement of the Centenary Goal of the Army" on Tuesday.
According to Xinhua News Agency, the "Opinions" emphasized that we must persevere in "concentrating our hearts and souls with China's official socialist ideology with Chinese characteristics in the new era", implement the responsibility system of the chairman of the Military Commission with higher standards and stricter requirements, and promote the normalization and institutionalization of political training. , Improve political judgment, political comprehension, and political execution.
The "Opinions" also mentioned that it is necessary to strengthen the unified leadership of the party committee and the collective leadership, as well as enhance the political and organizational functions of the party organization.
In addition to emphasizing political loyalty and leading the army with the party, the "Opinions" also emphasizes the need to implement the requirements of comprehensive and strict party governance, tighten and compact the party's political responsibilities, adhere to the strict tone, and thoroughly rectify the "four winds". In particular, formalism and bureaucracy are integrated to promote "don't dare to be corrupt, can't be corrupt, and don't want to be corrupt", and provide a strong political guarantee for the realization of the "100-year goal of the army".
When the Chinese government, chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, inspected the Air Force of the Western Theater Command on July 26, he also reiterated that the CCP must firmly control the troops ideologically, politically, and organizationally; The political responsibilities of managing the party and the party at all levels will continue to advance the positive wind, discipline and anti-corruption in depth", and "twist the high-level party committees", insist on "leading from above to subordinate, and strict requirements" and so on.
Prior to this, Hong Kong's "South China Morning Post" quoted people familiar with the matter as reporting that the Disciplinary Inspection Commission of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China and the military audit department were launching an anti-corruption campaign against Li Yuchao, then commander of the Rocket Force, Liu Guangbin, the deputy commander, and Zhang Zhenzhong, the former deputy commander. investigation, and said the three had been "taken away".
On Monday (July 31), at the promotion ceremony of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, Wang Houbin and Xu Xisheng were promoted to general rank by the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, and announced that they would be the commander of the Rocket Force and political commissar respectively. This shows that the commander and political commissar of the Rocket Army have changed at the same time, and it also indirectly proves that an anti-corruption storm is brewing.
Taiwan’s senior military commentator Qi Leyi analyzed in an interview with Lianhe Zaobao that since late July, the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China has successively emphasized political loyalty and anti-corruption issues, and the commander and political commissar of the Rocket Army were replaced at the same time. Issues that violate the political bottom line.
He further pointed out that many of the former high-level Rockets involved in the rumors had already held important positions when the Rockets were established in December 2015; rectify.
The newly appointed commander of the Rocket Force, Wang Houbin, is 62 years old. He has successively served as chief of staff of the South China Sea Fleet, deputy chief of staff of the Navy, and deputy commander of the Navy. He is the first commander not from the Rocket Force. Xu Xisheng, the newly appointed political commissar of the Rocket Army, is 59 years old. He has successively served as the director of the Political Department of the Air Force of the Beijing Military Region, the director of the Political Work Department of the Air Force of the Central Theater, the deputy political commissar of the Southern Theater and the political commissar of the Air Force of the Theater.
Since both of them have never served in the Rocket Army, the outside world also questioned the problem of "a layman leading an expert".
Qi Leyi pointed out that the Rocket Army is a military branch with a high professional threshold after all, and it is rare for the commander and political commissar to lack relevant background and experience. Therefore, he infers that this personnel change is likely to be a phased arrangement in line with the systematic anti-corruption campaign. After the rectification is completed, appropriate commanders and political commissars will still be promoted from the Rocket Army system.
