PLA has to win the anti-graft war first

The measures to be taken and the new anti-corruption regulations for the military are expected to focus on areas that most easily breed corruption. For example, the majority of corrupt officers embezzled money from camp construction and daily supply funds, and many took bribes to clear the way for their juniors' promotion.

Supervision in these two - and some other - areas has to be tightened to trap the "tigers" and swat the "flies", and deter others from following in the footsteps of their corrupt seniors or fellow officers. This will win back public trust for the military, whose reputation has suffered a blow because of rampant cases of corruption.

These are prerequisites for the success of the ongoing military modernization, as advocated by the country's top leader Xi Jinping. Only a clean military can get overwhelming public support, which is necessary for propelling its modernization, and ensure the money paid by taxpayers is properly used for the defense of the country.

The efforts needed to combat corruption are comparable to those required to fight an actual war. And the anti-corruption campaign is a war that the PLA has to win.

Despite the corruption, however, we should not be pessimistic about the PLA, because militaries of all countries are plagued by corruption to different degrees. The fact that tigers and flies are being hunted down shows the PLA is cleansing itself, and that corrupt officers cannot curb the healthy development of the military. The PLA will continue on the path of modernization and remain ready to protect the nation and the people.

The author is a senior advisor to China Arms Control and Disarmament Association.