China's Defense Minister Deng Jun is under investigation as part of a massive anti-corruption probe an inspection that shakes the upper echelons of the People's Liberation Army, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, as quoted by News.bg.
Deng is the third consecutive current or former Chinese defense minister to be investigated for alleged corruption. This information was confirmed by current and former US officials referred to by the publication.
China's foreign and defense ministries have not yet responded to Reuters requests for comment on the case.
Since last year, China's military has been the subject of a sweeping anti-corruption purge that has seen at least nine generals and several defense industry executives removed from their posts by the national legislature.
Deng, a former Chinese navy chief, was appointed defense minister in December 2023, but his predecessor Li Shanfu was ousted after just seven months in office.
Dung last week refused to meet with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a meeting of defense ministers in Laos, citing US actions towards Taiwan. This refusal was called "failed" by the head of the Pentagon.
As defense minister, Deng is responsible for China's military diplomacy, including relations with the United States. Despite the tensions, in September the two sides held their first theater commander-level talks, marking a partial thaw in military ties.
During the Communist Party plenum earlier this year, Deng was not promoted to the six-member Central Military Commission (CMC) – China's highest military authority. In addition, he was not included in the composition of the State Council during the government changes in March.
„Honestly, nothing would surprise me anymore,”, commented Dennis Wilder, a professor at Georgetown University and a former US intelligence analyst.