The Chinese Ministry of Defense announced today (28th) that Miao Hua, a member of the Central Military Commission and director of the Political Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party, has been suspended from duty and is under investigation for alleged “serious violations of discipline.” This marks the latest senior official to fall in the comprehensive anti-corruption campaign within the Chinese military.
According to Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian, the Chinese Communist Party “decided to suspend Miao Hua and await further investigation.”
Wu Qian did not provide more details about the accusations against Miao Hua, a member of the Central Military Commission and a vice admiral in the navy. However, Chinese officials often use “serious violations of discipline” as a euphemism for corruption.
On November 11th, independent commentator Cai Shenkun and former colonel Yao Cheng of the Chinese Navy Command revealed on Platform X that Miao Hua had been taken away by the Central Military Commission Discipline Inspection Committee. This indicates that the Xi family army, in charge of military propaganda and personnel power, has been purged, and a large number of senior officers promoted by Miao Hua, including Defense Minister and Vice Admiral Dong Jun who took office at the end of last year, will also be affected.
Recent senior activities published on the official website of the Chinese Ministry of Defense show that Miao Hua’s last recorded activity was on October 7th at the 70th anniversary celebration of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in Xinjiang. Miao Hua, in his capacity as deputy head of the central delegation, read a congratulatory message. It was noted that on October 29th, a special seminar for provincial and ministerial-level cadres was held at the Central Party School, and Miao Hua was also seen on CCTV, appearing with a furrowed brow.
Negative news about Miao Hua had surfaced earlier. In February of this year, freelance writer Du Zheng wrote in the “Shang Bao” that Miao Hua was a silent “big tiger” in the military. In charge of political work, he placed his own people throughout the military, and all political commissars in the military were his men and informants. Promotions in the military had to be approved by him before being reported to Xi, and all officials had to curry favor with Miao Hua. When it comes to corruption, Miao Hua may be the “most corrupt in the military.”
At 69 years old, Miao Hua served for a long time in the Nanjing Military Region’s 31st Army stationed in Fujian and had a close relationship with Xi Jinping from his early days in Fujian. Miao Hua transferred from the army to the navy in December 2014, moving from the political commissar of the Lanzhou Military Region to the political commissar of the navy. In August 2017, he was appointed director of the Central Military Commission Political Work Department and joined the Central Military Commission in October of the same year, overseeing personnel affairs for the entire military.
The timing of the rumors about Miao Hua’s troubles coincides with ongoing internal strife within the Central Military Commission of the Chinese Communist Party. It is said that there is discord between the Shaanxi faction led by First Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia and the Fujian faction led by another Vice Chairman, He Weidong. While He Weidong and Miao Hua are not originally from Fujian, the senior officers from the former 31st Group Army stationed in Fujian are considered part of Xi’s faction.
Since the Third Plenum in mid-July this year, there have been a series of strange phenomena in Chinese politics, with rumors circulating that Xi’s power is waning, particularly regarding military authority, and the senior military figure Zhang Youxia, a veteran party elder, is reportedly supported by the old guard of the Chinese Communist Party and has been making high-profile appearances.
In October of this year, former navy colonel Yao Cheng revealed on Platform X that there were signs Zhang Youxia was targeting the navy, with former political commissar Qin Shengxiang and current political commissar Yuan Huazhi under investigation. Both of these individuals were promoted during Miao Hua’s tenure as political commissar in the Chinese Navy from 2014 to 2017, and both Qin and Miao are close to Xi Jinping. At that time, Yao Cheng stated that if the Director of the Military Commission’s Political Work Department, Miao Hua, encountered issues, Xi would have essentially lost control of the military.
Prior to this, there were reports that Defense Minister Dong Jun of the Chinese Ministry of Defense was under investigation for corruption. However, this information has not been confirmed by authorities in Beijing. If these reports are verified, Dong Jun would become the third Defense Minister of the Chinese Communist Party to undergo investigation for corruption.