Military launches blitz against corruption

The release of a list of names of generals who have been investigated or convicted recently hints at what is to come from the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) countercorruption drive in 2015.[Special coverage]

The list featured 14 senior officers from several military commands including Chengdu, Shenyang, Shanxi, Hubei and Guangzhou as well members of the navy, air force, second artillery corps, the PLA General Staff Headquarters, the National Defense University and the Academy of Military Sciences,

Guo Zhenggang, deputy political commissar of the Zhejiang provincial military command, was put under investigation by the military procuratorate in February for suspected "serious legal violations and criminal offenses".

Monday's announcement came just one day ahead of "two sessions", the annual meetings of the top legislature and the political advisory body and drew great attention to China's intensified countercorruption drive.

This is the second time the PLA have publicized the names of corrupt figures "in bulk". On Jan. 15, the PLA announced that 16 corrupt senior military officials were put under investigation in 2014, including former Central Military Commission (CMC) vice chairman Xu Caihou -- the biggest military "tiger" caught so far.

Monday's announcement deserves credit, as the 14 fallen generals are the result of countercorruption work in the first two months of 2015.

The speed and efficiency of the drive has grown in leaps and bounds.

The PLA's countercorruption style is considered to be "wholesale," while the Communist Party of China's (CPC) top discipline watchdog prefers the form of "retail" as it usually announces investigations of corrupt Party officials separately, or in groups of no more than three.

No matter whether "wholesale" or "retail," the CPC's graft fight will be a protracted war that will catch more high-ranking "tigers" and lowly "flies", warned by Lyu Xinhua, spokesperson for the annual session of the top political advisory body, during Monday's televised press conference.

Corruption within the 2.3 million strong armed forces could undermine combat power, affect the military's image and hinder national defense development.

In order to modernize the armed forces and run the army strictly, Xi Jinping, in his capacity as the CMC head, ordered no holding back with efforts to tackle corruption.

Dispelling public concern that the crackdown was a flash on the pan, the PLA has overhauled military houses, construction contracts and accounting work as well as enacted rules on official promotions as part of its drive.