What’s new: Sun Jinming, a former chief of staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force, has been expelled from the Communist Party of China, the party’s Central Committee announced following a key meeting this week.
The Third Plenum reviewed a Central Military Commission report on Sun’s “serious violations of discipline and law” — a common euphemism for corruption — according to a communique released Thursday.
This is the first time that Sun’s investigation has been officially announced, making him the third former PLA Rocket Force chief of staff to fall under graft probe in recent years.
The background: Sun, a native of East China’s Jiangsu province, took on the role at the Rocket Force in 2022 and was named an alternate member of the party’s 20th Central Committee the same year.
Two of Sun’s predecessors, Li Yuchao and Li Chuanguang, who later became commander and deputy commander of the elite force, were also expelled from the party, according to the Thursday statement. Both were ousted from the National People’s Congress in December.
At least five other former PLA Rocket Force officials have been disgraced in recent years, including three of its ex-commanders, namely Wei Fenghe, who later served as defense minister from 2018 to 2023, Li Yuchao and Zhou Yaning.
Contact reporter Kelly Wang (jingzhewang@caixin.com) and editor Jonathan Breen (jonathanbreen@caixin.com)
