Charges have been filed against a former senior military official, Lt. Gen. Gu Junshan, as part of a “far-reaching inquiry under President Xi Jinping, [signaling] his determination to make high-profile examples out of dishonest military figures.” Former Lt. Gen. Gu, who was dismissed from the military to year ago, has been accused of a land development racket, allowing him to accumulate assets worth an estimated several hundred to a few billion dollars. The case against General Gu, has sent shock waves through the military, as President Xi has demanded action to “dredge the soil that produced Gu Junshan.” This includes investigating senior military figures who promoted General Gu. It has been reported the General Gu has given information against other high power military personal.
With other high officials in the Chinese government, such as Zhou Yongkang, facing serious charges it appears that President Xi is coming through with him promise to rid the government of corruption. With making this case public, it could mean that the government is starting to bring its fight against corruption out of the shadows and into the light. If this is true, is could help gain more support for President Xi’s anti-corruption movement and help end claims of brutality in the program.
Very interesting article. I am excited to see President Xi ridding China of corruption, no matter how important the person responsible is. If such actions continue, China will improve its overall perception which could in turn change the mind’s of fleeing foreign investors.
I agree. One of the major deterrents to foreign investors, despite China’s rapid economic growth, has been the lack of political liberalization in China coupled with rampant corruption. Addressing the corruption issue is an important step in making China more business friendly for both domestic and foreign investors.
So … who among the top leadership is personally clean? Perhaps there are a few, but the top leaders have done a really poor job of keeping their families from using connections to enrich themselves. When the children and uncles and siblings and nephews of Standing Committee members are indicted, then I’ll belive Xi is serious.