China has reportedly placed its defense minister under investigation for corruption, according to The Financial Times, which cites current and former U.S. officials familiar with the matter.
Admiral Dong Jun, who assumed office in December 2023 after his predecessor was dismissed for corruption, is being investigated as part of a broader anti-corruption probe into China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), U.S. officials said.
Dong is now the third consecutive defense minister to face an investigation for alleged corruption. He succeeded General Li Shangfu, who was removed from office after serving only seven months. Both Dong and Li were appointed by President Xi Jinping, whose administration has launched an ongoing crackdown on corruption within the military.
The Financial Times initially reported that U.S. officials believe Li is also under investigation for corruption. Li had replaced Wei Fenghe, who was similarly investigated for corruption after his retirement.
According to U.S. officials, Xi is intensifying investigations into the PLA, with Admiral Dong becoming the latest high-ranking target. The specific corruption allegations against Dong remain unclear.
The Chinese embassy in Washington declined to comment on the matter.
This development comes shortly after Dong attended an Asian defense meeting in Laos, where he refused to meet U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin. China’s defense ministry attributed the refusal to recent U.S. actions, specifically Washington’s approval of an arms package for Taiwan that included advanced surface-to-air missiles.
The U.S.-China military dispute comes on the heels of a meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Xi at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Peru. Both leaders reiterated the importance of maintaining direct communication between their militaries.
Tensions over military communications date back to August 2022, when China severed military dialogue with the U.S. after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan—the first such visit in 25 years. However, Xi later agreed to reopen communication channels during a summit with Biden in San Francisco, paving the way for a potential meeting between Dong and Austin.
The investigation into Dong signals Xi’s determination to broaden the anti-corruption campaign within the PLA. In addition to the dismissal of Dong’s two predecessors, Xi also sacked two senior officers from the PLA Rocket Force, which oversees China’s nuclear weapons programme.
