China is investigating senior military official Miao Hua. Will it affect the PLA?

As the head of PLA ideology comes under a cloud, the president once again stresses military loyalty to the Communist Party

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Miao Hua has been suspended from duty and is under investigation for “suspected serious disciplinary violations”, usually a euphemism for corruption. Photo: Handout

Published: 12:00pm, 21 Dec 2024Updated: 3:45pm, 21 Dec 2024

Admiral Miao Hua was a rising general in 2017 when he became a member of China’s Central Military Commission (CMC) and director of its political work department.

In taking over the party-building, ideology and personnel work of the world’s largest army, Miao now had a big say in senior appointments in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

The occupant of the position wields more real power than China’s defence minister, who is mostly the public face of the military and is responsible for domestic defence education and military diplomacy.

That is why the defence ministry’s announcement last month of an investigation into Miao’s alleged “serious violations of discipline” ricocheted throughout the Chinese military, raising concerns about the reform and battle readiness of the armed forces.

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Born in 1955, Miao became China’s youngest serving general when he was promoted in 2015.

A year later, Miao, then the political commissar of the PLA Navy, proudly shared his demands for the naval forces in an interview with Outlook (Liaowang) magazine, an affiliate of state news agency Xinhua. “Eliminate seeking personal gain; eliminate hiring people in violation of regulations,” he said.