Rocket Force Purge Widens: China Launches Rare Public Reporting Campaign, Hinting at Major Cleansing

An unprecedented wave of purges is sweeping through China's Rocket Force, with authorities launching a rare "people's reporting" campaign to uncover procurement violations. This move signals a potential large-scale "grassroots cleansing" and marks one of the most significant military shake-ups in recent years.

The campaign, running until November 30, is soliciting tips from the public on irregularities within the Rocket Force's procurement processes, extending to basic necessities like food, medicine, and barracks construction. This departure from the military's traditional secrecy has led to the downfall of nearly all Rocket Force commanders. Former Defense Minister Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, both seen as close to Xi Jinping, have been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve. Previous commanders Zhou Yaning and Li Yuchao, along with former political commissar Xu Zhongbo, have been stripped of their National People's Congress roles and are under investigation. Even Wang Houbin, who was brought in to stabilize the force, has fallen in the latest round of purges, with deputy commanders Zhang Zhenzhong, Liu Guangbin, and Li Chuan廣 also implicated.

Analysts are divided on whether the purges are primarily an anti-corruption drive or a political power struggle, though many believe the two are intertwined. The Rocket Force, responsible for China's most advanced missile and nuclear arsenals, is known for its substantial and opaque budget, making it fertile ground for corruption. Past scandals, such as falsified missile guidance systems and even "watered-down" missiles, have reportedly alarmed Xi Jinping, who fears the elite force may be incapable of fighting effectively despite massive investment. This corruption, in Xi's eyes, is often linked to political disloyalty.

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The Rocket Force's corruption and loyalty crisis have made Beijing's top leadership extremely anxious.

The deeper objective appears to be a political "cleansing and loyalty rectification" aimed at dismantling the Rocket Force's entrenched internal networks, which formed after its transformation from the Second Artillery Corps. Xi is reportedly replacing long-serving internal leaders with external commanders from the Navy and Air Force to break up these "military cliques." Rumors of high-level Rocket Force officials leaking secrets to the U.S. have further fueled Xi's suspicion of "two-faced" individuals, whom he views as politically disloyal and a threat to his absolute control.

This extensive, "nine-year backward-looking" purge is described as a "political meat grinder" designed to deter the entire military. By involving civilian external forces to root out internal "ghosts," Beijing demonstrates its profound anxiety over the Rocket Force's corruption and loyalty crisis. While publicly framed as an anti-corruption campaign, it is fundamentally a political purge and a restructuring of military power, with no clear end in sight.

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This is not just about investigating corruption; it's a political cleansing and a restructuring of military power.