Corruption Wears Down Chinese Military’s Combat Effectiveness

Chinese military delegates arrive at the Great Hall of the People before the third plenary session of China's rubber-stamp legislature, the National People's Congress, in Beijing on March 12, 2015. Lintao Zhang/Getty Images

News Analysis

Corruption is a widespread phenomenon in China’s military, where officers, including generals, have relied not on their duration of service or military prowess to rise in the ranks, but rather bribery and connections, according to analysts.