Todd Bishop
Hong Kong’s “South China Morning Post” reported on the 11th, according to military sources, because of the involvement of two former Central Military Commission former Vice Chairman Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou’s corruption case, the then Communist Party Committee and former Defense Minister Chang Wanquan was quietly relegated.
The 70-year-old Chang Wanquan entered the Central Military Commission in 2007 and retired in March last year. People familiar with the People’s Liberation Army said that Chang Wanquan had a close relationship with Guo and Xu, and was dragged down by two levels. “The permanent residence of Chang Wanquan was transferred to the former Armored Forces Building in Haidian District, Beijing, indicating that its retirement benefits have fallen to the level of the deputy military district.”
According to public information, Chang Wanquan was promoted to the rank of general in November 2007. He was a former member of the State Council, a member of the State Council and a minister of the Ministry of National Defense, a member of the 18th CPC Central Military Commission, and a former member of the Central Military Commission of the People’s Republic of China. After the re-election of the National People’s Congress in 2018, he has retired.
Earlier on the 19th National Congress, Chang Wanquan, who was still a military representative at that time, praised President Xi Jinping for “the history of the top of the earth to hold up the great dreams, and the talents of Tianweidi led the way forward.” .
A military insider said that the official has not officially announced that Chang Wanquan has been downgraded, but he pointed out that “in the PLA, all senior officials of all majors and above have lifetime honors and related benefits. If the treatment is reduced, then the explanation is Its rank has dropped.”
Another person familiar with the matter said that Chang Wanquan’s downgrade can also be regarded as a “safe landing” in exchange for “easy retirement”. He said, “If Chang Wanquan is regarded as Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou, “Yudu”, the case can become very serious, but Chang Wanquan does not have to be a prisoner like Guo. He was moved to the Armored Forces Building near the 301 Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army. It is already a humane treatment.”
In addition, there is internal news from the military that Chang Wanquan was downgraded and involved in the anti-corruption storm, and incidentally dragged down Qian Weiping, deputy director of the Equipment Development Department of the CPC Central Military Commission. According to the news, Qian Weiping is currently under investigation. From 2007 to 2012, Qian Weiping worked in the General Armament Department of the People’s Liberation Army (now reorganized as the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission). He was a member of Chang Wanquan.
