“According to The Wall Street Journal, a high-ranking Chinese general, Zhang Yuxia, is accused of passing information on China’s nuclear weapons to the United States.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
General Zhang Yuxia, photo by Getty Images Source: The Wall Street Journal with references to sources
Details: A top Chinese general is accused of leaking information about the country’s nuclear program to the United States and accepting bribes for official duties, including the appointment of an officer as defense minister, according to sources.
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The briefing, which was attended by some of the highest military ranks on Saturday morning, came shortly before China’s Ministry of National Defense made a sensational announcement of an investigation into General Zhang Yuxia, once considered the most trusted military ally of Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
The statement did not provide any details, other than information about an investigation into serious violations of party discipline and state laws.
However, people familiar with the briefing, which has not yet been reported, said Zhang is under investigation on suspicion of creating political factions, which means trying to build networks of influence that undermine party unity, and abusing power within the Communist Party’s top military body, known as the Central Military Commission.
Authorities are also scrutinizing his activities as head of the agency responsible for research, development and procurement of military equipment. People familiar with the information released at the briefing said Zhang allegedly received huge sums of money in exchange for promotions in the big-budget procurement system.
According to the sources, the most shocking allegation made public during the closed-door briefing was that Zhang had given the US basic technical data on China’s nuclear weapons.
Some of the evidence against Zhang came from Gu Jun, the former CEO of China National Nuclear Corp., the state-owned company that oversees all aspects of China’s civilian and military nuclear programs, people familiar with the briefing said. Beijing announced an investigation into Gu last Monday on suspicion of serious violations of party discipline and state laws.
At a briefing on Saturday, authorities said the investigation into Gu linked Zhang to a security breach in China’s nuclear sector, the sources said. Details of the breach were not disclosed during the briefing.
At an internal briefing on Saturday, Zhang was also accused of promoting former defense minister Li Shangfu. According to sources, Zhang allegedly helped Li climb the career ladder in exchange for large bribes.
Xi Jinping has ordered a special team to conduct a thorough investigation into Zhang’s activities as commander of the Shenyang Military District, which spanned five years from 2007 to 2012, several people with knowledge of the briefing said. The group had already arrived in the northeastern city of Shenyang, they said, with members choosing to stay in local hotels rather than military bases where Zhang would have a support network.
Authorities have already seized mobile devices from officers who had careers with Zhang and General Liu Zhenli, the chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who was also under investigation on Saturday.
The paper notes that since the summer of 2023, the party has removed top officers from China’s army, air force, navy, strategic missile forces and paramilitary police, as well as major military commands, including those in charge of Taiwan. Over the past 2.5 years, more than 50 senior military officers and defense industry executives have been investigated or removed from their posts, according to official reports.