BEIJING: China has suspended a top military general who is being investigated for a ‘serious violation of rules,’ the Defense Ministry announced on Thursday. Miao Hua, one of six members of the Central Military Commission (CMC), has been placed under investigation for suspected serious violations, according to Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian.

According to Anadolu Agency, the phrase ‘serious violation of rules’ in Chinese state terminology often implies involvement in graft cases. This significant development follows a report by The Financial Times alleging that Beijing was investigating Dong Jung, the country’s defense minister, a claim that China dismissed as groundless ‘shadow chasing.’

Miao Hua, an admiral in the People’s Liberation Army’s Navy, has been serving as the director of the commission’s political department. The Central Military Commission, led by President Xi Jinping, has overarching authority over the Chinese military.

The South China Morning Post daily reported that Miao was ‘last seen
in public’ on October 7, when he attended the 70th anniversary celebrations of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. This organization is a state-run paramilitary group operating in the northwestern Uyghur autonomous region.