China to indict former general on bribery charges

BEIJING — Chinese prosecutors will indict the military's former No. 2 official on bribery charges in an indication of the Communist Party's determination to fight corruption at all levels, state media said yesterday.

Xu Caihou, former deputy chairman of the ruling Communist Party's powerful Central Military Commission, has admitted to allegations that he took "especially huge amounts" of bribes directly or through family members to help others get promoted or receive other benefits, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

Xu is the most senior military figure snared in a sweeping crackdown on corruption launched by President Xi Jinping, and his case points to rampant corruption in the military ranks.

Xu was the top uniformed officer in the military and ranked in seniority only behind then-President Hu Jintao, who was the commission chairman.

PLA Daily, the official newspaper of China's People's Liberation Army, said prosecutors will bring indictments against Xu in a military court.

It said Xu has bladder cancer but that prosecutors will ensure he receives medical treatment.

Xu also has been expelled from the Communist Party and his rank as general has been revoked, Xinhua said.

It is uncommon for the party to reveal corruption cases involving military personnel, but Beijing wants to send signals that its anti-graft campaign is serious and applies to everyone, no matter how high-ranking they are.

Xu's case "shows our party is determined to fight corruption," which has boosted morale among soldiers and protected the military's image, PLA Daily quoted an unidentified military official as saying.