(Xinhua) 07:09, March 03, 2015
BEIJING, March 2 — Moments after questions on whether China’s ongoingcountercorruption campaign would snatch “bigger tigers” were aired by China’s statebroadcaster, the Chinese military authority released Monday a list of 14 generals that hadbeen investigated or convicted recently.
The list notably included Guo Zhenggang, deputy political commissar of Zhejiang provincialmilitary command, as well as other high rank servicemen from major military units.
The investigations come as indisputable proof that the countercorruption effort “has nolimit or ceiling” and “no one has impunity”, to use the words of Lyu Xinhua, spokesman forthe third session of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People’s PoliticalConsultative Conference, who was talking about anti-corruption generally at the firsttelevised press conference of the upcoming “two sessions”.
Lyu said that it is perfectly understandable that the general public and media believe thatif “bigger tigers” do exist, they should be exposed.
Xu Caihou, a former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) who hadalready been investigated, is now by far the highest ranking military official ever to havebeen prosecuted.
Monday provided further evidence that the military is not above the law, and will besubject to the same scrutiny that the rest of the country is currently experiencing.
The release of the list will give the public confidence in the military’s countercorruptioncampaign, said a commentary on the Ministry of National Defense website.
Specifying the identities of 14 suspects or convicts sheds new light on the increasingtransparency of the Chinese military under the leadership of the Communist Party ofChina.
It also bears witness to Party general secretary and CMC Chairman Xi Jinping’s blueprintfor China’s future, which includes the “comprehensive implementation of rule of law” andthe “comprehensive strengthening of Party discipline”.
Such is the spirit of a “zero-tolerance” campaign that China is establishing a climate inwhich officials, both civilian and military, “dare not, can not and wish not commitcorruption”.
With the annual sessions — one of China’s most important political events — kicking off thisweek, corruption issues are expected to be talked about extensively, and Monday’sdevelopment bodes well for the future of the drive.
“There is no exception in front of military discipline and state laws, ” read the commentaryon the defense ministry’s website.