Watchdogs punish corruption in PLA

A total of 4,885 members of the People's Liberation Army were punished last year for disciplinary violations, according to PLA Daily, the military's flagship newspaper.

Disciplinary watchdogs within the PLA investigated 445 cases last year, the newspaper said, adding that the Central Military Commission's Disciplinary Inspection Committee, the PLA's top anti-corruption body, focused on examining tip-offs about high-ranking officers.

In 2016, the committee also inspected several graft-prone sectors such as infrastructure construction, equipment procurement, research fund management and recruitment. The inspection led to probes into 819 problems in grassroots units, according to the report.

During the Spring Festival holiday in late January, the inspection committee sent inspectors to 452 units at regiment level or above to investigate misuse of official cars or public funds.

The report noted that there are still PLA members who continue to break regulations despite being clearly aware of the military's heavy-handed crackdown on disciplinary violations.

The PLA will examine dereliction of duty in military exercises and training to make sure every unit spares no effort in improving combat capability, the report said.

The article also called for stricter scrutiny of personnel work, especially in the promotion and selection of officials, and more rigorous investigation of minor misconducts that usually involve a small amount of money.

The military will start to make detailed guidelines for disciplinary watchdogs, the report said.

According to available information, at least seven high-ranking officers, including the former political commissar of the PLA Air Force and the former commander of the People's Armed Police Force, were placed under internal investigation in 2016 for corruption allegations.

So far, more than 50 senior officers with rank of major general or higher have been convicted or put under disciplinary probes since the new leadership was elected in November 2012.

They include Xu Caihou and Guo Boxiong, former vice-chairmen of the Central Military Commission.