China’s Defense Minister Dong Jun made a public appearance on Wednesday, despite speculation that he had become the latest high-ranking official caught in President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign.
In a statement Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense announced that Dong had met with heads of delegations attending the “Second Symposium on the Security Situation in the Gulf of Guinea,” held in Shanghai. The event gathered naval leaders from 18 countries in the region.
During the meeting, Dong emphasized the Gulf of Guinea as a key link between China and Africa, crucial for fostering exchanges and strengthening cooperation, the ministry said.
Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry by email with a written request for comment.
Dong’s appearance follows a series of high-profile purges that have drawn international attention. Former Defense Minister Li Shangfu vanished in August 2023, just six months into his role.
He was formally removed from office in October, along with former Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who had served for only eight months before his removal in July. Both men were expelled from the State Council, China’s equivalent of a cabinet, and were later removed from the Communist Party in June amid corruption allegations.
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Li’s predecessor, Wei Fenghe, who held the defense portfolio from 2018 to 2023, was also charged with corruption after retiring amid the purge of ongoing Chinese military and political elites.
Xi Jinping‘s anti-corruption campaign, which began in 2013, has reportedly investigated over 4 million members of the Chinese Communist Party. The campaign, targeting officials of all ranks, has been described by Xi as targeting both “tigers and flies.”
Analysts have observed that the campaign has also served as a mechanism for consolidating power and sidelining potential rivals.
While Dong appears to have survived the ongoing purge, Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian confirmed Thursday that another top military official, Miao Hua, is under investigation for “serious violations of discipline,” a phrase often used in China as a euphemism for corruption.
Miao, who heads the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission, ranks higher than the defense minister as one of five members of China‘s top military body, which Xi chairs. The investigation into Miao suggests that the anti-corruption drive is continuing to target senior figures in the country’s defense establishment.
Other high-profile targets last year included the leadership of the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, which led to international concerns over Xi’s grip on the branch tasked with overseeing China’s nuclear weapons arsenal.
