The member of the Central Military Commission of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Director of the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission, Miao Hua, was recently caught up in a scandal, and the related discussions are still ongoing. Some analysis suggests that Miao Hua’s downfall may be linked to former Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu, who may have bought positions from Miao Hua, as Miao Hua was the “gatekeeper” of the military commission. Over the past twenty years, all four heads of political work in the CCP’s military have faced trouble, indicating systemic decay and a lack of genuine combat capability.
The CCP officially confirmed on November 28 that Miao Hua, a 69-year-old native of Jiangsu Province who was born in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, was “suspended for inspection.” Miao Hua had a close relationship with Xi Jinping as they both served in the Nanjing Military Region’s 31st Army stationed in Fujian. Miao Hua’s career accelerated after Xi came to power, transitioning from “land” to “sea,” and he was appointed as the Political Commissar of the Navy after promotion to the rank of admiral in July 2015 (less than 2 years in the position of full admiral in the naval district and less than 4 years as a rear admiral). He was promoted in an unconventional manner. Miao Hua became the Director of the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission in 2017, was appointed as a member of the military commission, and was reappointed in 2022.
The reason behind Miao Hua’s downfall is currently subject to various speculations. Earlier in November, a former People’s Liberation Army Navy Senior Colonel Yao Cheng, who revealed that Miao Hua had been arrested, disclosed that authorities are investigating Miao Hua’s issues and have interrogated the former two Navy Political Commissars Qin Shengxiang, Yuan Huazhi, and Minister of National Defense Dong Jun. All of them provided testimonies unfavorable to Miao Hua.
In an article published on Taiwan’s media “Shang Bao” on December 3, independent commentator Du Zheng believes that Miao Hua was in charge of the military’s ideology, personnel, and propaganda. Although the Director of the Political Work Department of the military commission cannot make final decisions on personnel matters, he is responsible for identifying, recommending, and reviewing candidates. All political commissars in the military are under his influence and scrutiny, and promotions within the military require his approval before being reported to Xi. Due to his close relationship with Xi, Miao Hua engaged in widespread corruption and selling of positions.
The article suggests that former Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu, who was implicated in seeking inappropriate benefits by giving money to others, possibly hinted at buying positions from someone. Whom Li Shangfu bribed remains unclear, with speculations mentioning Zhang Youxia or others, but in reality, it might have been Miao Hua. It is possible that Li Shangfu disclosed buying positions from Miao Hua. As for the interrogation of former Navy Political Commissars Qin Shengxiang, Yuan Huazhi, Minister of National Defense Dong Jun, who reportedly provided incriminating testimonies against Miao Hua, it seems that hardly anyone is clean in the whole scheme.
In 2013, Li Shangfu was appointed as the Director of the Xichang Satellite Launch Center of the General Equipment Department. In December 2014, he became the Deputy Minister of the General Equipment Department, and in January 2016, he was appointed as the Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the Strategic Support Force. In September 2017, he was appointed as the Minister of the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission. In October 2022, he became the top-ranked member of the CCP Central Military Commission, ranking just below the two Vice Chairmen, holding a senior position among military leaders. Meanwhile, Miao Hua took over the military’s political work system in August 2017 and joined the Central Military Commission in October of the same year.
Current affairs commentator Li Lin once mentioned to Da Ji Yuan that Li Shangfu ranked ahead of Miao Hua in the 20th Military Commission. In theory, it seems unlikely for Li Shangfu to have bought positions from Miao Hua. However, since Miao Hua entered the military commission in August 2017, five years before Li Shangfu, it cannot be completely ruled out that Li Shangfu bought positions from Miao Hua. It is highly likely that Li Shangfu’s appointment as a member of the military commission was acquired through some shady dealings. Just as Zhang Yang had Xu Caihou as a supporter, enabling him to play a pivotal role in military promotions, Miao Hua, backed by Xi, naturally became the “gatekeeper” of the military commission.
During the critical periods when Xu Caihou and Guo Boxiong were ousted a few years ago, a publicly circulated letter from an “informed cadre from the General Political Department” revealed that during Xu Caihou and Guo Boxiong’s tenure, the democratic assessment system became a tool for manipulating and excluding dissidents. Through selective processes, those with illicit funds, willingness to spend, and daring to offer bribes quickly entered the backup list.
Du Zheng pointed out that since Xi came to power, there has been a massive purge in the military with hundreds of corrupt officials being brought down. However, the corrupt system initiated by Xu Caihou and Guo Boxiong has continued, as the so-called democratic assessment and reserve cadre system from that period are still in use under Xi’s rule. Lower-ranking military officers continue to advance through the corrupt system, which breeds discontent and resentment among those who have struggled to advance without offering bribes. This discontent could lead to challenges against Miao Hua by coming forward to authorities like Zhang Youxia and Zhang Shengmin.
The Political Work Department of the CCP Central Military Commission was previously known as the General Political Department of the CCP Central Military Commission. After the military reform in January 2016, the General Political Department was disbanded and split into three departments: the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission, the Discipline Inspection Commission (Supervision Commission), and the Political and Legal Commission.
The issue of corruption in the CCP’s military has garnered attention and is generally believed to have started during Jiang Zemin’s tenure since the 1989 Tiananmen Square incident. Successive heads of political work in the military under the CCP have faced trouble, including:
During the period of the General Political Department, following the departure of Yang Baibing, the directors included Yu Yongbo (November 1992 – November 2002), Xu Caihou (November 2002 – September 2004), Li Jinai (September 2004 – October 2012), and Zhang Yang (October 2012 – January 2016).
In the era of the Military Commission Political Work Department following the military reform, there were two directors: Zhang Yang (November 2015 – August 2017) and Miao Hua (August 2017 – November 2024).
Over the past twenty years, all four directors of the General Political Department (Political Work Department) have faced trouble. Xu Caihou served as the Director of the General Political Department during the 16th CCP National Congress and was promoted to Vice Chairman of the Military Commission in 2004. He engaged in widespread corruption and promoted numerous cronies. He was investigated after stepping down during the 18th Congress in 2015 and passed away in March 2015 due to bladder cancer.
Li Jinai succeeded Xu Caihou as the Director of the General Political Department in 2004, serving for eight years until 2012. Rumors of his investigation surfaced in 2016, although there was no official announcement. However, his son, Li Lei, who previously worked as an assistant to the Governor of Yunnan Province, was investigated in December 2020.
Zhang Yang was the final Director of the General Political Department and the first Director of the Political Work Department. He was arrested on the eve of the 19th National Congress and died by suicide at home. An article on the CCP’s military website criticized Zhang Yang, labeling him a “two-faced person” who portrayed loyalty publicly but engaged in corruption behind the scenes. Zhang Yang was known as “Zhang Mabai” for his knack of accepting money in sacks and selling positions.
Now, with Miao Hua’s downfall, Du Zheng believes that it will have a significant negative impact on Xi. Previously, when Li Shangfu faced trouble, Xi could shift the blame to others for improper recommendations, as Li was not his early ally. However, given Miao Hua’s close relationship with Xi, his leadership responsibility cannot be absolved. Therefore, Xi’s authority within the military will undoubtedly be greatly affected. The slogan in the military of “Listen to Chairman Xi’s commands, be responsible to Chairman Xi, and give Chairman Xi peace of mind” will now seem empty.
Li Lin added that it appears that since Jiang Zemin’s leadership, the CCP’s military has been corrupt for decades. Under Xi’s supposed high-pressure anti-corruption and military reform initiatives, the downfall of Zhang Yang and Miao Hua, two successive heads of political work, indicates the military’s deep-rooted corruption. The so-called strong military, which lacks actual combat capability, is a result of inherent corruption and unstable military morale. This situation poses high risks if such a military is deployed for combat operations.