US officials believe China has placed its current defense chief under investigation for corruption, the Financial Times reports—in what would be the latest shocking development roiling the world’s largest military by number of personnel.
Admiral Dong Jun faces the inquiry “as part of a broader probe into graft,” in the People’s Liberation Army, the newspaper reported, citing current and former US officials familiar with the situation whom it did not name.
Dong attended a gathering of military leaders from around the world last week in Laos, where he declined to meet with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. China placed the blame on the US, urging it to “immediately correct mistakes” on Taiwan and to respect Beijing’s core interests.
China’s Defense Ministry didn’t immediately reply to a faxed request for comment.
Dong’s two predecessors have also gotten into trouble due to graft probes. Chinese leader Xi Jinping launched a sweeping purge of the military in the summer of 2023 that was partly focused on the Rocket Force, which manages the nation’s expanding nuclear arsenal. Bloomberg
