2nd LD-Writethru: Senior Chinese military officer commits suicide amid corruption probe

BEIJING, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- Zhang Yang, a member of the Central Military Commission (CMC), committed suicide at his home in Beijing on Nov. 23, after authorities launched an investigation into his links to two corrupt former senior military figures, Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou, the CMC said Tuesday.

Zhang, a former member of the Communist Party of China Central Military Commission and former head of the CMC Political Work Department, hanged himself in his home.

The CMC decided to hold "talks" with Zhang to investigate his involvement in the cases of Guo and Xu, two former CMC vice chairmen, on Aug. 28.

Investigators said that Zhang had seriously violated discipline and law. He was also suspected of offering and accepting bribes and holding a huge amount of property from unidentified sources.

"Evading the punishment of Party discipline and law by committing suicide was disgusting conduct," said a commentary on the official website of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

The commentary said that "the case of Zhang Yang shows that a lot still needs to be done in eliminating the pernicious influence of Guo and Xu, and in the construction of Party conduct and honest, clean government, as well as in the fight against corruption.

"The army should thus nourish toughness and perseverance as if they are always 'on the road,' to eradicate any virus that corrodes the health of the PLA," the commentary said. Enditem