China suspends top military official Miao Hua amid corruption probe

China has suspended a senior military official, Miao Hua, who serves as the director of the political work department on the central military commission (CMC), the defence ministry announced Thursday.

Miao is under investigation for "grave violations of party discipline and laws," according to state news agency Xinhua, using a common euphemism for graft cases.

The CMC, chaired by Chinese President Xi Jinping, oversees the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and is the most powerful body governing China's military. Miao is one of five members of the commission, making him one of the highest-ranking figures in the Chinese defence establishment. His position within the Communist Party hierarchy outranks that of the defence minister, highlighting the dominance of party roles over government positions in China.

The announcement came after a report by the Financial Times alleging that current defence minister Dong Jun was under investigation and suspended. However, the defence ministry has denied these claims, dismissing the report as a "sheer fabrication."

This marks the third major shakeup in China’s defence leadership in recent months. In June, former defence minister Li Shangfu and his predecessor Wei Fenghe were expelled from the Communist Party and faced investigations into corruption and bribery.

Both officials have been removed from public view, with Li dismissed just seven months after taking office.

If confirmed, Dong Jun would become the third consecutive Chinese defence minister to face a corruption probe. Dong, a former navy commander, assumed the role in December following Li Shangfu’s abrupt removal.

China’s powerful rocket force, responsible for the country’s strategic missile arsenal, has also faced scrutiny. In July, a senior rocket force official, Sun Jinming, was placed under investigation for alleged corruption.

At a regular briefing on Wednesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning dismissed reports of Dong Jun’s investigation as "chasing shadows" but did not provide further details.