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| China’s Antigraft Push Snares an Ex-General | China’s Antigraft Push Snares an Ex-General |
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| HONG KONG — In the most far-reaching public move so far in President Xi Jinping’s drive against corruption in China, the Communist Party on Monday expelled a retired military commander, Xu Caihou, and handed him over for an investigation into accusations that he took huge bribes in return for military promotions. | |
| Until his retirement in late 2012, General Xu held one of the highest ranks in the People’s Liberation Army, as a vice chairman of the party’s Central Military Commission. He was also a member of the elite Politburo. He has become the most prominent Chinese military leader to be purged in decades, and the most senior official named publicly in Mr. Xi’s campaign to clean up the elite and impose his authority on the party, government and army. | Until his retirement in late 2012, General Xu held one of the highest ranks in the People’s Liberation Army, as a vice chairman of the party’s Central Military Commission. He was also a member of the elite Politburo. He has become the most prominent Chinese military leader to be purged in decades, and the most senior official named publicly in Mr. Xi’s campaign to clean up the elite and impose his authority on the party, government and army. |
| The Politburo, made up of 25 senior officials, expelled General Xu from the party and handed his case to prosecutors after hearing the findings of a secretive inquiry started in March, according to an announcement from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the party’s arm for investigating corruption and abuses of power. | The Politburo, made up of 25 senior officials, expelled General Xu from the party and handed his case to prosecutors after hearing the findings of a secretive inquiry started in March, according to an announcement from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the party’s arm for investigating corruption and abuses of power. |
| “The investigation found Xu Caihou used his office to provide help for others in promotions, and accepted bribes directly or through his family,” said the commission, citing the meeting. “He exploited the influence of his office to bring gain to others, and his family accepted wealth and property from others, gravely violating party discipline and bringing suspicion of the crime of accepting bribes. The circumstances were grave and the effects were malignant.” | “The investigation found Xu Caihou used his office to provide help for others in promotions, and accepted bribes directly or through his family,” said the commission, citing the meeting. “He exploited the influence of his office to bring gain to others, and his family accepted wealth and property from others, gravely violating party discipline and bringing suspicion of the crime of accepting bribes. The circumstances were grave and the effects were malignant.” |
| The announcement spelled out a lesson for other officials who might fall afoul of investigators, warning that nobody, however powerful, had immunity from punishment for corruption. Mr. Xi reinforced that warning in a speech to the Politburo, according to Xinhua, the main state-run news agency. “There must be stern iron discipline and abhorrence of evil,” Mr. Xi said. “Dare to flash the sword at all wayward tendencies.” Mr. Xi is also chairman of the Central Military Commission, which oversees the military, and has vowed to overhaul the armed forces. | The announcement spelled out a lesson for other officials who might fall afoul of investigators, warning that nobody, however powerful, had immunity from punishment for corruption. Mr. Xi reinforced that warning in a speech to the Politburo, according to Xinhua, the main state-run news agency. “There must be stern iron discipline and abhorrence of evil,” Mr. Xi said. “Dare to flash the sword at all wayward tendencies.” Mr. Xi is also chairman of the Central Military Commission, which oversees the military, and has vowed to overhaul the armed forces. |
| General Xu was the most prominent military leader to be purged in a generation, said Christopher K. Johnson, an expert on Chinese politics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. But Mr. Xi was likely to claim more, and possibly even more powerful, targets while he used the campaign against graft to consolidate power, Mr. Johnson added in a telephone interview. | General Xu was the most prominent military leader to be purged in a generation, said Christopher K. Johnson, an expert on Chinese politics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. But Mr. Xi was likely to claim more, and possibly even more powerful, targets while he used the campaign against graft to consolidate power, Mr. Johnson added in a telephone interview. |
| “I think Xi is building to a crescendo, and he’s aiming for others to be rolled out,” Mr. Johnson said. “This is the most high-profile attack on a military figure since Deng Xiaoping’s time. There’s a message here from Xi to all resisters. It also sends a huge message on defense structural reform.” | “I think Xi is building to a crescendo, and he’s aiming for others to be rolled out,” Mr. Johnson said. “This is the most high-profile attack on a military figure since Deng Xiaoping’s time. There’s a message here from Xi to all resisters. It also sends a huge message on defense structural reform.” |
| In 1992, the paramount leader Deng Xiaoping forced two senior military figures — Yang Shangkun and his half brother Yang Baibing — from the center stage of power after their influence threatened to undermine Deng’s preferred leader, Jiang Zemin. Mr. Xi has sent a similarly assertive signal as he prepares to recast the organization of the military, Mr. Johnson said. | In 1992, the paramount leader Deng Xiaoping forced two senior military figures — Yang Shangkun and his half brother Yang Baibing — from the center stage of power after their influence threatened to undermine Deng’s preferred leader, Jiang Zemin. Mr. Xi has sent a similarly assertive signal as he prepares to recast the organization of the military, Mr. Johnson said. |
| Xinhua announced that the Politburo also expelled from the party Li Dongsheng, a former vice minister of public security, who investigators found took huge bribes, as well as two former executives of a state oil conglomerate, Jiang Jiemin and Wang Yongchun, who were accused of similar misdeeds. | Xinhua announced that the Politburo also expelled from the party Li Dongsheng, a former vice minister of public security, who investigators found took huge bribes, as well as two former executives of a state oil conglomerate, Jiang Jiemin and Wang Yongchun, who were accused of similar misdeeds. |
| The case against General Xu could serve to deter official graft while helping Mr. Xi tighten his hold on the party, M. Taylor Fravel, an associate professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who studies China’s military, said in a telephone interview. “Given the way in which the party is constituted, any personnel decision has political implications,” he said. | The case against General Xu could serve to deter official graft while helping Mr. Xi tighten his hold on the party, M. Taylor Fravel, an associate professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who studies China’s military, said in a telephone interview. “Given the way in which the party is constituted, any personnel decision has political implications,” he said. |
| As a senior officer in the People’s Liberation Army’s General Political Department, and its director from 2002 to 2004, General Xu had a big say in promoting officers. Two people close to senior officials have said that, according to a briefing given to officials in recent weeks, General Xu was accused of taking large sums of cash and gifts in return for securing promotions right up to senior levels of the military. Both of those people — a military researcher and a television producer — spoke on the condition of anonymity before the announcement, citing the risk of official repercussions for discussing the confidential investigation. | As a senior officer in the People’s Liberation Army’s General Political Department, and its director from 2002 to 2004, General Xu had a big say in promoting officers. Two people close to senior officials have said that, according to a briefing given to officials in recent weeks, General Xu was accused of taking large sums of cash and gifts in return for securing promotions right up to senior levels of the military. Both of those people — a military researcher and a television producer — spoke on the condition of anonymity before the announcement, citing the risk of official repercussions for discussing the confidential investigation. |