Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun is being investigated for corruption, the Financial Times newspaper reported today.
Citing current and former US officials familiar with the case, the newspaper said the case is part of a broader investigation into corruption in the Chinese military.
If confirmed, Dong would be the third consecutive defense minister to be charged with this type of offense in China.
Former navy commander, he was appointed Minister of Defense in December 2023, following the sudden dismissal of his predecessor Li Shangfu, just seven months after taking office.
Li Shangfu was later expelled from the Chinese Communist Party on "suspicion of corruption" and accused of having "received large sums of money", according to state television.
His predecessor, Wei Fenghe, who was also suspected of corruption, was also expelled from the Party.
In recent months, among others, the two heads of the Rocket Force, on which the Chinese nuclear program depends, have also been removed.
The same sources suggested that investigations into the People's Liberation Army (PLA) are undermining Xi's confidence in the military and raising doubts about his ability to invade Taiwan by 2027, a goal that, according to US military officials, the Chinese leader proposed.
After coming to power just over ten years ago, Xi launched a vast campaign against corruption, which extended to the army. Critics believe Xi is using this move to eliminate political rivals.
In early November, the Chinese president called on the military to "investigate and correct corruption and unhealthy tendencies among officers and soldiers."
Dong last appeared in public last week when he attended an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) defense ministers' summit in Laos.
At that meeting, the Chinese representative refused to meet with his American counterpart, Lloyd Austin, arguing that Washington "undermines Beijing's fundamental interests" in the Taiwan issue by selling weapons to the territory.
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