Disgraced Chinese general dies ahead of high-profile corruption trial

The highest-ranking Chinese military officer to fall victim to President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption drive died of bladder cancer on Sunday, official media reported Monday. As vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, Xu Caihou was the second most senior officer in the People’s Liberation Army. He retired from the military in 2013 but was put under investigation last year and later expelled from the ruling party, stripped of his general’s rank and handed to judicial authorities for prosecution. He was 71.

Xu Caihou, the once-celebrated general who because of corruption lost both fortune and honour, ended his pathetic and shameful life on a sickbed under supervision.

Obituary in the PLA Daily, one of many Chinese media outlets to heap opprobrium on his memory

As well as being the world’s largest active military, a vast network of businesses are linked to China’s armed forces – so extensive that academics have dubbed it “PLA Inc”. Beijing unveiled the latest annual double-digit increase in its military budget this month, taking the official figure to 887 billion yuan ($142 billion), although analysts believe spending is significantly higher than publicised. Experts say the money has brought with it more opportunities for corruption.

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