Xi calls out military corruption, forbids 'non-salary income'

Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a speech over the weekend targeting corruption among high-ranking military officers that any income other than their salaries is strictly forbidden, after the People's Liberation Army (PLA) announced investigation on 16 senior military officials.

In an editorial released Saturday in the PLA Daily, Xi was quoted as saying in an important military meeting that military officers can only rely on their salaries for income. Any unapproved income or illegal gains will be investigated and punished.

The editorial emphasized that Xi, who is also chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), was targeting senior military officers in his speech, which came during a deepening crackdown on corruption within the army.

"The fight against corruption begun in 2012 is not a selective investigation of a few corrupt officials, but rather a campaign to uphold the rule of law and to eliminate the root causes of corruption," read the Saturday editorial, adding that the real solution to prevent corruption is to institutionalize anti-graft efforts and public monitoring.

The editorial also said that achieving real results in the crackdown will require the military to create a "new norm" in which military officers are no longer interested in taking bribes.

CMC Vice-Chairman General Xu Qiliang said Wednesday that senior officers within the PLA would be among the key targets of the ongoing crackdown.

Liu Zheng, deputy head of the PLA General Logistics Department, became the latest senior military officer to come under investigation. Liu was on the list released on Thursday revealing 16 senior military officers who were investigated for corruption in 2014, which was seen as a move to institutionalize the anti-graft efforts by increasing transparency.