(Beijing) Chinese President Xi Jinping has proclaimed his desire to crack down on corruption and strengthen loyalty within the armed forces, state media reported on Wednesday.
In a speech Monday to top brass at a meeting of the Central Military Commission in the northwest city of Yan’an, the Chinese president urged participants to “eradicate the breeding ground and conditions under which corruption prosperous and to strengthen the scope of the fight against corruption,” according to public television CCTV.
Xi called on the military to “strengthen overall supervision of senior cadres in carrying out their duties and using their powers.”
PHOTO TINGSHU WANG, REUTERS ARCHIVES
Xi Jinping
The Chinese president has waged a relentless crackdown on corruption since coming to power a decade ago, seen by his critics as a method to sideline his political rivals.
Former Defense Minister Li Shangfu was sacked suddenly in 2023 without explanation and replaced a few weeks later by current post holder Dong Jun.
Xi’s warning comes as tensions between China and its regional neighbors have seriously escalated in recent months over territorial claims in the South China Sea.
China also organized military exercises in May around Taiwan, the pro-independence island that Beijing claims as part of its territory and says it wants to recover one day, if necessary by force.
“The situation in the world, the country, the party and the military is undergoing complex and profound changes,” Xi said, according to CCTV.
“We must constantly promote the political construction of the army […] and always dare to fight and win,” he added.