CHINA, March 3: The ruling Chinese Communist Party is investigating 14 generals for corruption as a nationwide anti-graft campaign widens to encompass the People´s Liberation Army (PLA), official media reported on Monday.
Among those under investigation is navy Rear Adm. Guo Zhenggang, son of a former vice-chairman of the party´s Central Military Commission (CMC), which commands the armed forces headed by President Xi Jinping, the country´s defense ministry said in a statement.
In a brief statement on its website, the ministry said Guo, the 45-year-old son of former CMC vice chairman Guo Boxiong, is suspected of "violating the law," a phrase that is often used to refer to corruption.
Leading officers at provincial level in the PLA´s navy and in the missile corps and the National Defense University were also named in the "list of tigers," inspired by President Xi´s launch of a campaign targeting graft among high-ranking "tigers" and low-ranking "flies" alike.
In a commentary published separately on the same website, the official Xinhua news agency wrote: "We must act masterfully if we are to build the political will needed to reduce corruption and to curb its growth, to purge us of this disease."
"Neither tigers nor flies should have anywhere left to hide," the article said. "Only the cleansing wind of severe punishment can restore social order."
The announcement came after the CMC´s former second-in-command Xu Caihou was indicted last year on bribery charges, signaling a political shift in a campaign that had previously been limited to civilian targets.
Former journalist Xu Xiang, who has reported on corruption in the PLA, and who has been following the campaign closely, said Guo Zhenggang´s investigation suggests that Guo Boxiong is also likely to be implicated.
"If his own son has become a target of the anti-corruption campaign, then Guo Boxiong can´t stay out of this for much longer," Xu said - See more at: http://myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=93297#sthash.229Po4pH.dpuf
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