The People’s Liberation Army has made a rare public appeal for tip-offs about procurement problems in its air force, as Beijing presses ahead with its anti-corruption campaign in the military.
The announcement was posted on Monday on the PLA’s official procurement website – the main bid information platform for suppliers – seeking information about “irregular” procurement activities organised by air force units.
It is the first time such a request has been made about a specific branch of the military, which comprises the ground force, navy, air force and rocket force, alongside specialised information, space, cyber and joint logistics forces.
The notice said it would mainly accept information on the PLA Air Force’s procurement of materials and services, including activities such as procurement evaluation, contract performance and selection of bidding agents.
It said suppliers, evaluation experts, bid agents and internal personnel involved in air force procurement projects could submit feedback using their real name by June 30 next year.
The announcement comes as the PLA continues its anti-corruption efforts and intensifies the military equipment procurement sector review it has been carrying out since 2023.
From around last year, the PLA procurement website started regularly posting warnings and listing penalties for parties and individuals found to have violated procurement-related rules.
In September, the rocket force announced the disqualification of 74 bid evaluation experts and 116 suppliers for violations, including collusion on bids.
The anti-graft campaign in the military has led to the downfall of a slew of senior officials in the past two years and has affected almost every division and theatre command in China’s military.
Around a month before an investigation into then defence minister Li Shangfu began on August 31, 2023, a notice was issued calling on the public to report violations in military equipment tenders dating back to 2017, the year Li became head of the Equipment Development Department, which oversees military procurement.
However, after more than two years of anti-corruption efforts, the air force has been less affected than other services. A number of top rocket force commanders have been sacked, and various navy and ground force generals have been investigated or disappeared from the public eye.
Meanwhile, officers with a background in the air force are filling vacancies left by the anti-graft fight. During this year’s military parade on September 3, Han Shengyan, head of the Central Theatre Command’s Air Force, became the first air force officer to be in charge of the event after the theatre commander disappeared from the public eye.
Similarly, Yang Zhibin is leading the Eastern Theatre Command, the first time it has been commanded by an air force officer, after Lin Xiangyang was sacked from the post.
Military procurement is a major focus of Beijing’s efforts to root out corruption in the PLA.
At October’s Central Committee gathering, known as the fourth plenum, the Communist Party emphasised the need to fight corruption in the military over the next five years. The full proposal published by state news agency Xinhua called for improvements in procurement processes through better decision-making, oversight and budget management.
Qiu Yang, deputy director of the General Office of the Central Military Commission, said the military should improve its procurement system and reduce training, management and equipment support costs.
China’s air force has made significant progress in recent years. It showcased its latest drones and new fighter variants, including the J-20S, J-20A and J-35A, in the country’s military parade in September. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
