Down Angle Symbol A symbol in the form of an angle pointing downwards. Chinese soldiers sit on mobile rocket launchers as they take part in a parade celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 at Tiananmen Square on October 1, 2019 in Beijing, China. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images
- US intelligence says China's military purge is due to serious equipment problems, according to Bloomberg.
- Examples of this include rockets that were filled with water instead of fuel, according to Bloomberg.
- The problems are a blow to Xi Jinping's focus on the Rocket Force, China's main nuclear weapon.
China's army deployed rockets filled with water instead of fuel and rows of silos with false lids – examples of military corruption that led to a dramatic purge of senior officials, Bloomberg reported, citing U.S. intelligence agencies.
Bloomberg, which did not name its sources, reported Saturday that the intelligence agency indicated that Chinese leader Xi Jinping's recent ouster of more than a dozen senior commanders in the People's Liberation Army was due to serious corruption offenses like these.
The purge went so far that it even fired Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu, who disappeared for two months before being replaced in October.
Corruption in China's Missile Force and throughout the People's Liberation Army has been so severe that it will likely force Xi to reconsider whether Beijing can take major military action soon, Bloomberg reported, citing U.S. intelligence sources.
The Rocket Force is China's main military branch overseeing its nuclear weapons and has been a central focus of Xi's recent push to rapidly modernize Beijing's armed forces.
This has been particularly central to China's stance toward Taiwan, as Beijing has deployed long-range missiles along the coast to threaten the self-governing island.
Researchers said satellite images in 2021 showed China was building hundreds of nuclear-capable missile silos in the Xinjiang desert, potentially allowing its arsenal to rival those of Russia or the United States.
However, according to US intelligence, an example of corruption is that entire fields of silos in western China were covered with lids that prevented missiles from being fired effectively, Bloomberg reported.
The outlet did not specify what type of rockets were filled with water.
The American assessment is that these problems have likely undermined Xi's modernization policies and internal confidence in the Rocket Force's capabilities, the source said.
There has long been speculation that Xi's purge was linked to his long-running anti-corruption campaign. For months, China evaded the question of why so many senior army officials were fired.
Of the recently fired Chinese commanders, at least three held top positions in the Rocket Force and four were responsible for equipment, Portal reported.
The PLA has since stressed that it should remain vigilant against bribery, and has repeatedly referred to a “fight against corruption” in its New Year's statement.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment received outside regular business hours.
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