Probe into former general shows need for rigor in supervision

Guo Zhenggang, a former General of the People's Liberation Army, along with his wife, is being investigated for corruption. Reportedly, 7 million yuan ($1.12 million) in cash was found in one of their houses. Comments:

Even though top leader Xi Jinping said that corruption in the army will lead to defeat in war, there have still been voices saying the anti-graft campaign should be relaxed in order to ease pressure on military officers. The recent corruption cases within the PLA show that the task of fighting corruption remains arduous, and steely resolve is needed to carry it forward. What is needed is a mechanism that prevents corruption from taking root instead of simply cutting it down after it has grown.

PLA Daily, March 23

Whenever corruption in the military is reported, people blame the military. Actually, soldiers and good officers are victims of military corruption, too, because their rights and interests are violated. Military personnel also hate corrupt officers. It is with the firm support of soldiers and officers that we can successfully hunt the high-ranking "tigers" in the military.

Liu Yuan, a senior general in charge of PLA logistics, March 13

Why are so many senior military officers corrupt? The problem lies in the power structure of the military. The military branches need to concentrate power and ensure the authority of superiors over their subordinates. However, if that power is without supervision, it will almost surely breed corruption. For example, the logistics departments not only control huge amounts of money, they also have to purchase many products and services from outside the army; this means there is always room for them to be bribed. The army needs to draft new regulations to change this.

qstheory.cn, March 16

For a long time, the military was considered an independent, closed system in which most incidents were kept confidential. Even information about corrupt officials was not disclosed to the public until the recent anti-graft campaign. The top leadership has obviously realized the importance of having an open system in order to root out corruption from the military, that's why it has taken measures to promote military transparency along with fighting corruption. Transparency curbs corruption - that applies to the military, too.

zaobao.com, March 18