Major general netted in anti-graft campaign

A major general at a People's Liberation Army university has been placed under investigation for alleged corruption, according to a report by Xinhua News Agency on Thursday.

Gao Xiaoyan, 57, former vice-political commissar and discipline inspection chief at the PLA's Information Engineering University, was taken away on Nov 27 by military prosecutors for allegedly accepting large bribes. Her house was searched and sealed, the report said.

Gao is thought to be the first female major general to be investigated since China's new leadership took office.

According to a report by Caixin, the financial news magazine, Gao is suspected of accepting bribes in connection with construction projects at a military hospital between 2005 and 2012, when she was serving as the political commissar at the PLA's 309 Hospital.

According to a report in PLA Literature and Art Magazine, the hospital built 15 staff dormitory buildings and a 30,000-square-meter underground parking garage with a capacity of 1,000 cars during the period.

It also built a healthcare building for military officers and a tuberculosis research institute building. In addition, it expanded buildings used for outpatients and emergency treatment, according to the Caixin report.

President Xi Jinping, who is chairman of the Central Military Commission, has vowed to weed out corruption in the military. In November, Xinhua News Agency published an article by Xi that called for greater efforts in fighting against corruption in the armed forces.

Also in November, Ministry of Defense spokesman Geng Yansheng said the central government will hold corrupt military officials accountable under the law.

"I have to stress that the People's Liberation Army has zero tolerance for corrupt officials. We will make thorough investigations into all corruption cases, without any leniency, no matter who is involved and however high-level the official is," Geng said at a news conference.

In June, Xu Caihou, former vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, was investigated for allegedly taking huge bribes from individuals in exchange for securing promotions.

"It's urgent to combat corruption in the military system because this work is vital to national security and the country's core interests," said Cheng Lei, a law professor at Renmin University of China.

The priority is to "enhance power supervision and restriction in the military", he said.

zhangyan1@chinadaily.com.cn