In a dramatic step that has not been seen for 60 years, China President Shay Jinph ousted one of the most senior commanders in the Chinese army, in recent days at Financial Times. President Shay continued his purity tract – and removed General Hi Widong, the other important officer in the military of the Chinese superpower. According to five sources who are familiar with the affair, Hi, who served as Deputy Chairman of the Central Military Committee, was ousted from office over the past few weeks.
Hi’s status was the most senior – besides being the second officer in his rank in the Chinese army, he was also the third commander of China’s general military hierarchy and a member of the Communist Party Politburo. His ouster is the last in a long line of senior officers who were flooded by Shay in corruption.
Three of the sources familiar with the affair said that his ouster was related to the suspicions of corruption. The speculation about Hi’s fate began a few weeks ago – after being absent from official events that was supposed to participate in their role. He did not attend the latest Politaburo yeshiva on China’s foreign relations, where Jang Joashia, Deputy Second Chairman of the Central Military Committee..
Neil Thomas, a Chinese politics expert at the Asian Policy Institute, said to Pinnohel Times that this is the first case of the deputy chairman of the Central Military Committee since General Hong in 1967. “Shai wants to make the popular army of effective combat power outside the limits of China, but also into a complete servant of his inner agenda.”
Hi’s ouster arrives six months after Shayl removed Miau Hua, another member of the Central Military Committee, for “serious discipline violations” – a phrase usually associated with corruption cases in the Chinese army. However, Hi’s senior rank makes his impeachment much more serious than Miao’s suspension.
For the past two years, Shai has dismissed the two China Army missile heads, which is partly responsible for supervising the China’s nuclear arsenal. In addition, he has dismissed two defense ministers, Wei Feng and Lengo over the past two years. In the Chinese system, the Minister of Defense plays a political role, and is less powerful and influential than the military leaders in the Central Military Committee.
President Shai Jinping’s rejections and tuition sequence in the army ranks comes against the increasing preparation in China towards the possibility of Taiwan’s military invasion, which is estimated to occur in the coming years.