Security
China's nuclear arsenal under new leadership after corruption probe
The lack of information around the disappearance of high-profile officials is an example of the opacity of Chinese elite politics.
![President Xi Jinping poses for a group photo with military officers who have been promoted to the rank of general in Beijing on July 31. [Ministry of National Defense of China]](/gc4/images/2023/08/01/43271-china_nuclear111-600_384.webp)
AFP |
BEIJING - China announced on Monday (July 31) a new leadership for its Rocket Force, the army unit that oversees its nuclear arsenal, as media reported a corruption probe involving its former chief.
The navy's former deputy commander Wang Houbin was named as the new commander of the force in a brief article by state media Xinhua reporting his promotion to the rank of general.
His predecessor, Li Yuchao, has not been seen in public for weeks and the Xinhua article gave no explanation for his removal.
Citing military sources, the South China Morning Post newspaper reported last week that Li and his current and former deputies were being investigated by the Central Military Commission’s anti-corruption unit.
![China's DF-41 nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles are seen during a military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing. [Greg Baker/AFP]](/gc4/images/2023/08/01/43272-nuclear_china-600_384.webp)
President Xi Jinping called last week for increasing oversight of the military and the construction of a "modern system for military governance" in remarks to top leaders.
The same day, the military department responsible for buying China's weapons launched a crackdown on corrupt procurement practices dating back years.
Xinhua's article on Monday also referred to Xu Xisheng as the Rocket Force's new political commissar. Xu had previously served with the Southern Theatre Command Air Force and was also promoted to general.
It did not mention when the two men had taken up their new roles.
The lack of detailed information about such changes is not unusual in China.
The government announced last week it was replacing Qin Gang as foreign minister after he had not been seen in public for a month.
Beijing has refused to give any explanation for the removal of Qin, once considered a confidant of Xi, leading to speculation he was under investigation or had otherwise fallen from grace.
The Lowy Institute's Richard McGregor tweeted that the lack of information around Qin's disappearance was "a transparent example of the utter opacity of Chinese elite politics".
The Rocket Force is a relatively new unit of the People's Liberation Army.
Its creation was announced in January 2016 after a major reshuffle of China's military structure.
It oversees China's arsenal of strategic missiles, both conventional and nuclear, and can both deter and strike, according to the government.