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China Voice: New rules to shine PLA top brass

Xinhua, April 14, 2015 Adjust font size:

With new standards for recruiting Party members, China is trying to clean up its armed forces, following the exposure of corruption in the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

The PLA general political department in earlier this week published new rules on recruiting Communist Party of China (CPC) members, giving political standards top priority. The number of CPC members in the military will be kept under strict control and their personal qualities carefully scrutinized.

The image of Chinese army has been seriously damaged by corruption and many generals have fallen from grace. Earlier this year, it was revealed that 30 generals were being investigated or had been convicted.

Former vice-chairman of Central Military Commission (CMC) Xu Caihou was the highest ranking general to be caught with his fingers in the register. As the former head of political work and personnel issues, Xu had a detrimental influence on the army's morale and political work.

Late last year, CMC Chairman Xi Jinping convened a meeting of top generals in an old revolutionary base in southeast China's Fujian Province, where the army's political system was formally established in 1929. The meeting laid out a new strategy for the political work of the PLA.

The more modernized and normalized the armed forces become, the more they must be institutionalized. As China experiments with the rule of law, governing the army with rules is imperative.

Under the absolute leadership of the CPC, Party membership is key for many soldiers' promotion to higher ranks. Since the meeting, the army has published new rules on promotion and personnel management -- the issues most complained about before -- to prevent promotion of those who are not qualified.

Xu Caihou and other generals have revealed the consequences of a lack of rule of law. Anti-corruption drive in the military will alleviate the symptoms of the malaise that afflicts the whole military.

Only with rules, regulations and the determination to carry them out, can the Chinese army renew the people's faith in its top brass. Endi