Experts say that the executive change is corruption-related and could be used by the CCP faction to put pressure on Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
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Some people have not been seen publicly for a long time, such as Chen Guing, former CEO of China South Industries Group Corporation (CSGC). Yuan Jie, former chairman and party secretary of China Aerospace Science and Industry Association Limited (CASIC). Both were officially replaced in April 2024, but had disappeared for several months before the announcement.
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The CCP referred to the Epoch Times, referring to the internal CCP process in which suspects must comply with the party’s internal investigation before being handed over to the judicial system as they had “shuanggui” party officials after gathering innocent evidence.
“Only if there is concrete evidence, an individual will be rejected from the party and its official position.
“But now we see more and more individuals dealing with it internally. When the Qin gang was arrested and disappeared, the public didn’t know what he had done. They had to wait a long time for his crime to be announced.”
Meanwhile, “No one knows whether an individual has been arrested, poisoned or committed suicide,” he added.
Qin, formerly a Chinese ambassador to Washington, was published several weeks after the official announcement that he had been fired in July 2023. His loss of failure sparked speculation that he raised the rage of CCP authorities by fathering a Hong Kong journalist and a non-giati son in the US, but the CCP never announced the reason for his sudden firing.
The former Minister of Defense was rejected in October 2023. He was expelled from the party in June 2024, accused of accepting huge bribery and “severely contaminated” the military equipment sector and businesses.
Some of the alternative military executives may have been involved in the corruption case, said China issue commentator Wang, a contributor to the Epoch Times.
As XI came to power, it was increasingly encouraged engineers and scientists in China’s military industry sector. The new military industry technocrats “are not pretty,” Wang told the Epoch Times.
“The system was… seriously corrupted, and these people were politically rog-ridden,” he said, portraying a target on his back.
“This is a sign of an intensive internal conflict in the CCP.”
Shen said some of the replacements of military industrial engineers could be an extension of recent corruption investigations, but it is also a sign of Xi’s weaning power.
“XI has lost power so we can exchange people who have been promoted when there is evidence of corruption or other crime,” he said, as they were likely targeted, and could be removed prior to the fourth Plenary and the 21st Parliament.
Tan Ruisong, former chairman and party secretary of China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC), one of the former military executives, was arrested in February on corruption charges.
Cao Jianguo, quietly taken away as chairman and party secretary of China Aviation Engine Corporation (AECC), was last seen in public in September 2024. It remains unclear why he was replaced. The administration did not provide an explanation for the replacement of former CASC CEO Zhang Zhongyang. Or Wen Gang, former chairman and party secretary (CSSC) of China State Shipbuilding Company (CSSC).
Shen said the opaque approach to CCP’s investigation means that there are likely people who are being miscried.
In that case, “the resistance is likely to increase and pressure Xi could put pressure on him. Other factions could unite to force Xi to resign,” he said.
The Wang said the widespread corruption of the military industrial complex could also be used by Xi detractors as evidence of CCP leader failure. He also said the administration may be covering up the investigation due to the extent of corruption.
“If the real extent of corruption was revealed, it would be too shocking and seriously undermine the morale of the Chinese military,” he said.
Yi Ru contributed to this report.
The views expressed in this article are the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the epoch era.
