Some had not been seen in public for an extended period of time, including Chen Guoying, former CEO of China South Industries Group Corp., and Yuan Jie, former chairman and Party secretary of CASIC. Both were officially replaced in April 2024, but had disappeared months before the announcement.
The CCP used to “Shuanggui” a party official after collecting incriminating evidence, he told The Epoch Times, referring to an internal CCP process in which suspects are required to comply with the Party’s internal investigations before being turned over to the judicial system.
“Only when there was concrete evidence would the individuals be dismissed from the Party and their official positions,” he said.
“However, we now see more and more individuals dealt with internally. When Qin Gang was arrested and disappeared, the public didn’t know what he allegedly did. We had to wait for a long time for the announcement of his crimes.
“Were the individuals arrested, poisoned, or have they committed suicide? No one knows.”
Qin, who had previously been China’s ambassador in Washington, vanished from public view for weeks before the official announcement in July 2023 that he was dismissed. His disappearance sparked speculation that he had aroused the ire of CCP authorities for fathering an illegitimate son with a Hong Kong journalist in the United States, but the CCP never announced the reason for his abrupt dismissal.
Former Defense Minister Li Shangfu was dismissed in October 2023, two months after he disappeared from the public eye. He was expelled from the Party in June 2024 and was accused of accepting massive bribes and “severely polluting” the military equipment sector and companies.
Some of the replaced military executives could be involved in corruption cases, said China affairs commentator Wang He, a contributor to The Epoch Times.
Since Xi rose to power, engineers and scientists from China’s military-industrial sector have been increasingly promoted. The new military-industrial technocrats “are not clean,” Wang told The Epoch Times.
“The system ... is seriously corrupt, and these people were also politically arrogant,” putting targets on their own backs, he said.
“It’s a sign of the CCP’s intensified infighting.”
Shen said some of the replacement of military-industrial technocrats could be an extension of corruption investigations in recent years, but that it is also an indication of Xi’s waning power.
“Because Xi has been losing power, those whom he promoted can be replaced when there’s any evidence of corruption or other offenses,” he said, noting that they were likely targeted so they could be removed ahead of the fourth plenary session and the 21st Congress.
One of the former military executives, Tan Ruisong, former chairman and Party secretary of the Aviation Industry Corp. of China, was arrested in February on corruption charges.
Cao Jianguo, who has been quietly removed as chairman and Party secretary of the Aero Engine Corp. of China, was last seen in public in September 2024. It remains unclear why he was replaced. Neither did the regime offer explanations for the replacement of Zhang Zhongyang, former CEO of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., or Wen Gang, former chairman and Party secretary of the China State Shipbuilding Corp.
Shen said the opaque approach of the CCP’s investigations means that there are likely people who are wrongfully accused.
“There will likely be increased resistance, creating pressure on Xi,” he said. “And other factions could unite to force Xi to resign.”
Wang said the pervasive corruption in the military-industrial complex could also be used by Xi’s detractors as evidence of the CCP leader’s failure. He also said the regime may be covering up the investigations because of the extent of the corruption.
“If the real extent of the corruption was revealed, it would be too shocking, and seriously undermine the morale of the Chinese military,” he said.
