By Ka Po Ng
The presence of generals in the formations was designed to send a message.
Many scholars have offered analysis of the Chinese military parade, held early this month to commemorate the 70 anniversary of the end of World War Two. Much of it has studied the capability of the equipment or deciphered the political and military messages. According to the Chinese official media, however, one of the “bright spots” of the parade was the inclusion of generals in the formations, a first. Why such an unprecedented arrangement? Its significance is just as great as the display of advanced weaponry. To look for answers, we have to study the ongoing politics of anti-corruption and changing civil-military relations, as well as the internal problems facing the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Since the Chinese government released its first list of generals under investigation for graft and corruption in January this year, more and more leaders above the group army level have been implicated. This reporting is consistent with Xi Jinping’s policy of combating corruption in order to rectify the Communist Party’s alienation from the people and reinvigorate its ruling capacity. While the prosecution of high-profile personalities who are collectively nicknamed “tigers” serves to show Xi’s determination to put words into deeds, the expanding list simply testifies to the poor quality and integrity of those in power.
For the PLA, the consequences have been disastrous. The military is seen by common Chinese people as a hotbed of all kinds of corruption and poor discipline. Although the army was divested of all businesses in the 1990s, economic crimes and disciplinary problems have not gone away. Both the two vice-chairmen of the Central Military Commission, Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou, were prosecuted. Both had been appointed by Xi’s predecessors. The hunting down of these “tigers” and other generals has been a blow to the reputation of the PLA, which has in recent years tried hard to build an image as a professional custodian of national interests. Perhaps the parade could begin to repair the damage.
Read the full story at The Diplomat