China is known throughout the world for the strictness of its rules and regulations, but such a shocking case of corruption has come to light from Western China which has put even the top general of the Chinese Army in the dock. The case of filling water instead of fuel in a nuclear missile has taken corruption to a different level. This disclosure has been made on the basis of the report of American Intelligence.

This was the reason that in 2024, China removed the entire leadership of its rocket force. Zhang Youxia was China’s top military officer and an aide of President Xi Jinping. After Xi, Zhang was the most senior in China’s Military Commission, which is the country’s largest military command body. According to reports, Zhang was detained on January 19 on charges of leaking China’s nuclear weapons data to America and taking bribe.

The South China Morning Post, quoting an article in the PLA Daily on Sunday, wrote, “We must take strong and forceful measures to curb corrupt practices that undermine combat capabilities and thoroughly investigate and eliminate traitors who embezzle military spending.”

What did the experts say?
Zhang’s arrest is as much related to corruption as it is to China’s military preparedness. Experts say corruption weakens China’s war preparedness and this action has been taken to correct it before it becomes a strategic weakness. There are rumors that Zhang’s investigation is related to shortcomings in nuclear security.

What was said in the Bloomberg report
Bloomberg reported in 2024, quoting US intelligence officials, that one example of corruption was that entire areas of silos at the Xinjiang Missile Field in western China were fitted with lids that prevented missiles from launching properly. It has been said in the report that this cleaning operation in the army happened due to equipment problems. In this, as an example, those missiles were mentioned in which water was filled instead of fuel.

The Asia Times rejected
The Asia Times rejected Bloomberg’s report, saying, “China does not keep its liquid-fueled rockets filled with propellant; the missiles remain empty in silos because storing fuel in them would rust the inner tanks.” According to a January 2024 report in The Asia Times, “There would be no reason to add water to the missiles, unless it was a deliberate design.”

The matter of removal of General Zhang has come at a time when China is conducting exercises near Taiwan, which it considers its territory under the One China Policy. China has also recently adopted an aggressive stance against Japan on the Taiwan issue.

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General Zhang Yaoshia, the senior most officer of the Chinese army, is under investigation because very serious allegations have been made against him. He is 75 years old and is the Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC). This is the most important organization of the entire Chinese army. He was considered a very close and old associate of President Xi Jinping.

What were the charges against General Josiah?

The biggest and most serious allegation is that he leaked very important technical information related to China’s nuclear weapons program to America. Apart from this, he is accused of taking bribe. It is being said that he took huge amount of money in exchange for giving promotions to officers, which also includes the case of giving promotion to a former Defense Minister. He is also accused of forming political factions, misusing his power and corruption in horse trading in the army.

How did the investigation against the Chinese general begin?

China’s Defense Ministry announced on Saturday that Zhang Youxia was being investigated for ‘serious violations of discipline and law’. But he did not mention the nuclear data leak. The real details were obtained by The Wall Street Journal from people who were present at a private briefing given to senior army officers. This briefing took place just before the announcement of the investigation.

Evidence against the general obtained from a senior officer

According to some reports, the investigation received information from a person named Gu Jun, who was previously the chief of China National Nuclear Corp. They are also under investigation. China has not confirmed allegations like nuclear data leak. A spokesperson for his Washington embassy said that this investigation is part of the Communist Party’s ‘zero tolerance against corruption’ policy.

Neil Thomas of the Asia Society Policy Institute says that nuclear secrets are so tightly controlled that it is difficult for such a big general to leak them. They believe that the allegations of corruption and bribery seem more correct because such cases have happened in China before. This investigation is part of a larger anti-corruption campaign going on in Xi Jinping’s army. From 2023 till now, more than 50 senior military officers and people from the defense industry have been implicated in the investigation or have been removed. This is bringing a big change in the Chinese army.

China’s Defense Ministry said on Saturday (January 24) that the top general of the Chinese Army is being investigated on suspicion of serious violation of discipline and law. This investigation is going on against Zhang Youxia, one of the senior two vice chairmen of China’s powerful Central Military Commission. He is the latest officer to be caught in the long-running purge of military officers.

According to CNN report, analysts believe that these purges have been done to improve the military system and ensure loyalty to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who is also the chairman of the Military Commission. They are part of a broader anti-corruption campaign that has seen more than 200,000 officials punished since Xi Jinping came to power in 2012.

Liu Zhenli under investigation
Another member of the commission, Liu Zhenli, has also been brought under investigation by China’s ruling Communist Party, according to a statement from the Defense Ministry. Liu is the Chief of Staff of the Commission’s Joint Staff Department. This commission is the highest military body of China.

No detailed information regarding alleged scams or corruption has been given in the statement. 75-year-old Zhang joined the People’s Liberation Army in 1968 and is also an army general. Last October, the Communist Party expelled He Weidong, second vice chairman of the commission, and replaced him with commission member Zhang Shengmin.

What is purification campaign?
The anti-corruption purge being conducted by Chinese President Xi Jinping in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) mainly focuses on corruption, betrayal and ensuring loyalty. In this, many top generals of the rocket force and equipment procurement units have been brought under investigation for dismissal.

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