The recent disappearance of high-ranking officials from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People s Liberation Army (PLA) signals a purge of corruption charges that are part of the systemic culture in China. The replacement of top leaders in the PLA Rocket Force (PLARF) and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who is alleged to have had an affair and love child, follow a well-worn pattern. However, the fact that figures outside PLARF were brought in to lead the organization shows an alarming lack of confidence in its loyalty and integrity, particularly given its important role in China s nuclear-missile arsenal.
A scandal involving the top brass of the armed forces would be a setback for Xi Jinping, who has taken pride in turning the 98 million-strong Communist Party and the Chinese military into unquestioning enforcers of his rule.