In April, he simply disappeared - since spring, He Weidong, the second most important general in China, has been absent from important meetings of the Politburo and other leading bodies of the People's Republic of China, reports ARD.
The state-controlled media do not ask any questions in such cases - the power apparatus continues to act as if nothing had happened.
Explanations often come months later - as now, at the fourth plenum of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. It was supposed to discuss long-term economic strategies, but also the leadership of the party.
Immediately before the forum, it was announced that He had lost his post, had been expelled from the Communist Party and was facing a military court. Eight other commanders share the same fate.
Politicians and military personnel disappear one after another
The information provided does not include more details. The accusations are that they violated party discipline and did not conscientiously perform their duties, a military spokesman said. The approach to them showed that the party leadership will lead the fight against corruption to the end. He will succeed him as vice chairman of the influential military commission, Zhan Shenming.
A similar approach is being taken at other levels of the state apparatus, ARD points out. Ministers disappear and are replaced. The latest such case is with one of the party's foreign policy experts - Liu Jiangchao, who was the favorite to be the new foreign minister and has already been sent for negotiations in foreign capitals around the world. He was arrested in August.
He asserts complete control over the party apparatus
Corruption and shady dealings are considered widespread in the Chinese government apparatus, especially in the military, notes ARD correspondent Jörg Endris. There are also no institutions that exercise independent control outside the Communist Party itself. Therefore, they rely on party disciplinary committees and internal justice.
Those who fall into the crosshairs of anti-corruption investigators are often already in disgrace for other reasons, ARD notes. After Xi Jinping took over all the key posts in the party and state in 2012, many high-ranking officials who had served under his predecessors were removed.
A sign of the leader's power and influence
"Earlier, Xi had to get rid of the old guard to consolidate his power. This was accompanied by large-scale propaganda campaigns related to the fight against corruption," political scientist Yang Qi, who works at the Singapore University of Technology, told ARD.
Xi's purges have proven successful, the expert points out. Today, he is considered one of the most powerful heads of state and government in the People's Republic. His doctrine has constitutional status, and term limits were removed so that he can continue to rule.
But the purges have not ended even 13 years after he took office. Now they are also affecting officials appointed by Xi himself. "Even the suggestion of disloyalty in such systems with a single strong ruler can lead to someone falling out of favor," says Yang Qi.
Like many other analysts, he sees the latest wave of purges as a sign of Xi's power, which seems to be able to redistribute so many important positions in one fell swoop.
Some positions remain vacant - for example, in the leadership of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party, which Xi heads. This concentrates even more power in his hands, ARD points out. The army in China is under the leadership of the Communist Party, not the government.
Is there a successor to Xi on the horizon?
"In one-party systems, new alliances are constantly being formed," Yang explains. Since there are no personnel changes in elections, many functionaries depend on the goodwill of their superiors to develop. "In this way, new groups are constantly being created in the competition for the leadership's favor. If a group seems too strong in the eyes of the leadership, it is removed."
According to experts, Xi is holding the reins tightly, although rumors are also circulating about possible plans for his succession. "If one day Xi thinks about giving up power, he will look for a loyal and not particularly strong successor," says Yan. A successor who is dependent on Xi, who will protect his political legacy and not turn against him and his family. "But I don't think the question of Xi's successor will play any role in the near future," concludes the political scientist.
Author: Jörg Endris