Wu Guangqiang

    jw368@163.com

    CHINA has shown no sign of letting up in the fight against corruption. On March 2, five days after the Chinese New Year holiday, Chinese military prosecutors released a list of 14 generals convicted of graft or placed under investigation, an apparent move to accelerate the nationwide anti-corruption drive.

    It’s the second time that China has made public the names and titles of senior military officers involved in corruption scandals. On Jan. 15, a list of 16 high-ranking officers was released, including Xu Caihou, former vice chairperson of the Central Military Commission.

    Exposure of such a large number of corrupt military generals was once uncommon in China since the People’s Liberation of Army (PLA) was revered by the people for its glorious history. With the aim of fighting for and serving the people, it was well-known with its bravery, severe discipline and clean image.

    But clearly, the armed forces have also been infected with the virus of corruption. Many signs show that military corruption is widespread and serious.

    The lists include senior generals from various departments of the military. The most eye-catching “military tiger,” however, is Guo Zhenggang, 45, deputy political commissar of the military in the eastern province of Zhejiang. He is being investigated on suspicion of “violating the law,” which is a euphemism for corruption.

    Two reasons make his exposure special. He is the son of Guo Boxiong, who retired as vice chairperson of the Central Military Commission in 2013. He had been promoted to major general only 46 days before he was busted.

    The Defense Ministry said in separate comments that the release of the new list would convince naysayers who thought the crackdown was “just for appearances” or “a gust of wind.” “The military is really going for it in fighting corruption,” it said.

    It’s widely expected that the discovery of the new batch of corrupt military officers, that of Guo Zhenggang in particular, indicates the downfall of more and bigger “tigers.”

    The PLA has long been dubbed the “Steel Great Wall,” implying its vital role as the guardian of the nation’s security, sovereignty and integrity. Unchecked corruption will bring down the “Steel Great War.”

    Military corruption is a global issue. According to a study by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute three years ago, corruption in arms trade accounted for 40 percent of the corruption in the total global trade. Another study shows that military corruption exists in 70 percent of the countries in the world.

    In 2011, an independent investigation committee revealed in its report to the U.S. Congress that US$3.1 billion to US$6 billion was skimmed off in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars in war-related deals. An American colonel was charged with keeping an Iraqi mistress with public money. The same officer also embezzled US$70,000 to hire his mistress’ father as a “culture adviser.”

    A Russia military investigation showed that 20 percent of the country’s annual defense budget was stolen by corrupt officials in and out of the military.

    Military corruption was insignificant before China’s shift to the market economy because the military had little involvement in commercial activity. The national business heat in the 1980s and 90s dragged the military into the world of money, gradually turning some senior officers into greedy merchants.

    Despite the later ban on military involvement in business, the harm has been done, and the negative impact will be persistent.

    The nature of the military makes it difficult to oversee and curb graft in the army. The systems of vertical leadership, appointment and the secrecy of military operations, all the factors restrict outside oversight. Taking advantage of these characteristics, voracious generals had no qualms about looting public wealth.

    A corrupt army is vulnerable. China suffered the humiliation of being invaded and carved up by foreign countries, including tiny ones, during the Qing Dynasty. One of the major reasons was the incapability of the rotten army, which was beaten not by enemies’ cannons but its own corruption.

    To effectively wipe out military corruption, China must lock generals in the cage of the law along with governmental officials. On top of ethical education, disciplinary restrictions and moral refinement, legislation is the most important measure.

    Let’s consolidate the “Steel Great Wall” before it’s too late.

    (The author is an English tutor and freelance writer.)