Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun Under Investigation for Corruption | China Truths

Welcome to China Truths. In this episode, we will bring you the following stories. Multiple Viruses Surge, Beijing Hospitals Overloaded, Sudden Deaths Increase. Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun Under Investigation for Corruption. Now, let's dive into the details. It's all covered in today's China Truths. Multiple Viruses Surge, Beijing Hospitals Overloaded, Sudden Deaths Increase. China is experiencing another peak in virus outbreaks, with multiple viruses rampant. Hospitals are overwhelmed, and the number of deaths has surged. Citizens report that the latest wave of new viruses is more severe, but authorities continue to conceal the truth. A Chinese netizen warned. Family members, take care. The king of viruses is here. Adenovirus, also known as the virus king, is spreading. Be careful not to get infected. Recently, hospitals in Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi, and other regions have seen long queues of patients. Many tertiary hospitals in Beijing are operating over capacity. Another netizen described the hospital scenes. Look at the situation in major hospitals now. They're packed with people, all patients. You'll see elderly individuals in their 80s and 90s as well as children as young as 8 or 10. In addition to COVID-19, multiple viruses are currently circulating in China. Cluster infections have been reported in schools in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces, while some primary schools in Hebei have closed temporarily due to outbreaks of norovirus. Some individuals have noted unusual symptoms in themselves and their families, suggesting the possible emergence of a new virus. I don't know what kind of new virus this is. I can't explain it, but once infected, recovery is extremely slow. As the number of virus infections rises, cases of sudden death have spiked across the country, with authorities suppressing information. On November 11, China's CDC reported 57 new severe COVID-19 cases and 6 deaths nationwide in October. This data has been widely questioned. Yang, a resident of Nanyang, Hunan, commented, It's similar to COVID, just constant cover-ups. It's mainly children and the elderly. Heart attacks, strokes, and sudden deaths are happening without distinction, especially among young people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. Meanwhile, there has been a concentration of deaths among senior Communist Party officials. Since October, at least 11 propaganda system officials have died, including five at the vice-ministerial level. Notable names include Gene Chongji, former executive deputy director of the Central Committee's Party Literature Research Office, and Jingming Xiong, former deputy editor-in-chief of People's Daily. Additionally, CCTV reporters Gu Guining, 46 years old, and Zhou Wei, 60 years old, have also passed away. Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun Under Investigation For Corruption On November 27, foreign media reported that Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun is currently under investigation for corruption. This follows the recent probes into several high-ranking People's Liberation Army, PLA, officials, including Miao Hua, head of the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission, General Lin Xiangyang, commander of the Eastern Theater Command, and General Lu Xunli, chief of the Joint Staff Department. The Financial Times cited current and former U.S. officials who revealed that the investigation into Dong Jun is part of a broader probe into large-scale corruption within the upper echelons of the PLA. According to a U.S. official, Xi Jinping is conducting a series of investigations into the military, implicating Dong Jun. However, the exact nature of the corruption charges against him remains unclear. Reports indicate that foreign media outlets have contacted China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of National Defense for comments, but no response has been received so far. Likewise, the Chinese government has not issued any denials regarding the allegations involving Dong Jun or others like Miao Hua. According to Wikipedia, Dong Jun entered the Naval Academy in Dalian in 1978 and has served in various naval roles since his graduation. His past positions include chief of training at the Navy Headquarters, deputy chief of staff of the North Sea Fleet, and commander of Navy Unit 92269. In 2013, he became the deputy commander of the East Sea Fleet and, in January 2017, the deputy commander of the Southern Theater Command. In August 2021, he was promoted to commander of the Navy and, a month later, became a naval admiral. In December 2023, he was appointed as the 14th Minister of National Defense, succeeding Li Shangfu, who had been abruptly dismissed. Dong is also a member of the 20th Party Central Committee. Dong Jun's rise to defense minister is believed to have been facilitated by Miao Hua, a fellow naval officer and director of the Political Work Department. In the PLA's hierarchy, senior promotions often require Miao's endorsement before being approved by Xi Jinping. As such, Miao is considered highly influential in military appointments and has been suspected of corruption. While both Miao and Dong were once seen as trusted allies of Xi, Dong's exclusion from key roles like state counselor or Central Military Commission member suggests that Xi did not fully trust him. This departure from the norm, where defense ministers typically hold vice-national-level status, has raised speculation about his precarious position. If Dong becomes a target of Xi's political rivals within Zhang Youxia's faction, his fall could be likely. Dong Jun's predecessors, Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe, were also investigated for corruption after leaving office. In June of this year, both were expelled from the Communist Party and the military and handed over to the military judiciary. According to state media Xinhua, the two were accused of accepting bribes and abusing their positions for personal gain. Dong Jun and Li Shangfu are considered key members of Xi Jinping's faction, having been appointed directly by Xi. As defense minister, Dong Jun has been responsible for China's military diplomacy with other nations. His most recent public appearance was on November 21, at the 14th China-ASEAN Defense Minister's informal meeting in Vientiane, Laos. He co-chaired the meeting with Laos Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Shantsemon, during which Dong adopted a tough stance on Taiwan. On November 22, he met with Laos Party General Secretary Thonglun Sisselith. Corruption and internal struggles within the PLA's upper ranks are traditionally treated as state secrets. Any information that does surface is often heavily censored and sanitized by Chinese authorities. In recent years, the top leadership of the PLA rocket force has been almost entirely purged. If the allegations against Dong Jun and Miao Hua are confirmed, it is unlikely to be announced immediately, as Beijing fears backlash against Xi's authority and concerns over military morale. Alternatively, the case could be quietly resolved to maintain a facade of unity and prevent further erosion of the PLA's combat readiness. Don't forget to comment in the section below to share your opinions on today's topic with us.