Special to WorldTribune.com

By Willy Lam, East-Asia-Intel.com

After nabbing “big tigers” such as former Politburo member Bo Xilai and at least five former executives of the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), President Xi Jinping seems to be moving his anti-graft campaign to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and its sister unit, the People’s Armed Police (PAP).

Late last month, Xi, who is also Chairman of the policy-setting Central Military Commission (CMC) sent a circular to all PLA and PAP units entitled “On strengthening and improving the auditing of the economic responsibility of leading cadres in the military.”

The paper pointed out that in light of the fact that the defense budget had increased to more than 700 billion yuan, officers of all divisions must exercise utmost caution in spending. The circular also threatened to mete out “severe punishment” to corrupt military officers.

There are, however, institutional drawbacks to combating corruption in military departments, which control vast tracts of land and infrastructure as well as other valuable economic resources.

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