China expelled two former defense ministers from the ruling Communist Party over alleged corruption Thursday, the latest sign of a secretive crackdown sweeping the country’s elite.
The moves against Li Shangfu and his predecessor Wei Fenghe follow a series of shake-ups at the top of the world’s largest military — Li was ousted from the role last year after disappearing without explanation. The apparent purge comes as Beijing clashes with the United States over the fate of Taiwan, and as the increasingly powerful President Xi Jinping consolidates his leadership.
The two former defense ministers, Li and Wei, were expelled by the party’s leadership for “serious violation of party discipline and the law,” Chinese state news agencies announced early Thursday.
Both men were deprived of their qualifications as delegates to the 20th CPC National Congress, state media said, citing a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
The Xinhua news agency said the party’s disciplinary and supervisory agency launched an investigation into Li in August of last year that found he had “seriously violated political and organizational discipline.”
“He sought improper benefits in personnel arrangements for himself and others, took advantage of his posts to seek benefits for others, and accepted a huge amount of money and valuables in return. He is suspected of the crime of taking bribes,” it said.
Li, who became defense secretary last March as Xi began an unprecedented third term in office, disappeared from public view for months at the end of August.
His abrupt removal as defense minister was then announced last October, several months after his absence sparked widespread speculation about his fate. Li was also stripped of his title as state councilor at the time, a rare move to ax officials from the inner circle of the ruling Communist Party.
Wei, who preceded Li as defense minister, was similarly accused Thursday of “accepting money and gifts in violation of relevant rules.”
As high-ranking officials of the party and the military, both of their actions are “extremely serious in nature, with a highly detrimental impact and tremendous harm,” state media said.
Both cases have been sent to “prosecutorial organs of the military for examination and prosecution,” state media reported.
Little is known about their whereabouts or their responses to the bribery allegations.