Xi Jinping inspects much-purged Rocket Force; calls for strengthening deterrence capabilities

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping has inspected a brigade of the military's strategic missile force that underwent a massive purge of officials for corruption in recent years, according to a media report on Saturday.

Xi on Thursday visited at Hefei the Chinese People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Rocket Force, a key arm of the military operating the missiles, including nuclear weapons, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

He urged the strategic missile troops to strengthen their deterrence and combat capabilities and resolutely fulfil the tasks entrusted by the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the people, the report said.

The Rocket Force, established in 2015 as part of Xi's military overhaul, has been at the centre of the latest anti-corruption campaign targeting the military.

Besides heading the ruling CPC and the Presidency, 71-year-old Xi also heads the Central Military Commission (CMC), the overall high command of the Chinese military.

He visited the training field of the brigade which boasts a history of over 50 years, and learned about the tactical and technical performance of the newly-introduced weaponry and equipment, and examined its training in operating the arms.

In a bid to shore up the morale of the officers and soldiers, he asked them to have good command and make the best use of the weapons in their hands while living up to the trust of the party and the people, the report said.

Later, Xi was briefed on the brigade's work and made a speech stressing the importance of upholding the party's absolute leadership over the armed forces and strengthening party-building at the primary level.

His visit to the Rocket Force, which operates the country's most powerful long and short-range missiles, was considered significant due to the massive purges seen at the key military arm driven by alleged graft at its top echelons in recent years.

The unspecified allegations against many of its officials included the use of substandard fuel for the missiles.

A host of its officers, including the former Defence Minister Gen Li Shangfu, were summarily sacked for alleged corruption.

Gen Li headed the Rocket Force before he was elevated to the post of Defence Minister by Xi, who later sacked him.

His successor, Gen Li Yuchao, who assumed the role of its commander in 2022, was also removed following graft charges.

In July this year, the ruling Communist Party announced the anti-corruption investigation against Gen Sun Jinming, who headed the Rocket Force.

At least seven past or serving senior military officials from the strategic missile force faced anti-corruption probes since last year.

Former Defence Minister Gen Wei Fenghe, who headed the Rocket Force from its inception until 2017 and later served as the country's defence minister from 2018 to 2023, was also expelled from the party recently over corruption charges.

Last month, the Rocket Force was in the news after it fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with a dummy warhead into the Pacific Ocean.

The launch tested weaponry performance and military training effectiveness and achieved desired goals, the Defence Ministry said.

The missile fell into expected sea areas, it said, adding that this was a routine arrangement in the annual training plan and relevant countries had been notified in advance.

It is the first time in 44 years that China is known to have successfully conducted an atmospheric test of an ICBM over the high seas. In May 1980, a DF-5 China's first ICBM flew more than 9,000 km.