By Entorno and AFP | 2025-03-10

Corruption in China's military has led to the removal of top leaders and may hamper the country's efforts to modernize its armed forces, the US military said December 18.

In 2023, Beijing's forces "experienced a new wave of corruption-related investigations and removals of senior leaders which may have disrupted its progress toward stated 2027 modernization goals," the congressionally mandated annual report on Chinese military and security developments said.

At least 15 high-ranking military officers and defense industry executives were sacked between July and December 2023, according to the report.

"Several leaders investigated or removed for corruption oversaw equipment development projects related to modernizing the PRC's ground-based nuclear and conventional missiles," it said, using an abbreviation for the People's Republic of China.

The 2027 goals that may be affected include "boosting the speed of modernization in military theories, organizations, personnel, and weapons and equipment," according to the report.

In March 2024, a top Chinese official told a gathering at the PRC's annual legislative gathering that the country's Central Military Commission would crack down on "fake combat capabilities" in the military, which may have referred to weapon procurement-related corruption.

Disruptive firings

A senior US defense official noted that "frequent turnover and replacement of high-level personnel certainly can be disruptive," while efforts to uncover corruption can slow down projects and spiral from one official to others who are connected.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has overseen a wide-ranging campaign against official corruption since coming to power just over a decade ago, with critics saying it also serves as a way to purge political rivals.

Recent efforts have focused on the People's Liberation Army, with top official Miao Hua joining last November a host of high-ranking figures removed from their positions in just over a year.

But China's military -- which Beijing has been working to modernize for several decades -- has made recent advances, the Pentagon said.

That progress reached operational nuclear warheads. China's holdings increased from more than 500 last year to more than 600 in 2024.

Beijing's "expanding nuclear force will enable it to target more US cities, military facilities, and leadership sites than ever before in a potential nuclear conflict," it said.