We need to start paying attention to who gets promoted

China's Militarist General Liu Yuan Promoted

by Gordon G. Chang

Reuters reports that General Liu Yuan will be promoted to the Communist Party’s 11-member Central Military Commission in October. Liu, 62, could even be given one of the two vice-chairman slots when the Central Committee meets, sources state. His elevation is a certain sign that hard-line elements are fast gaining power in Beijing.

Liu, the political commissar of the General Logistics Department of the People’s Liberation Army, ostensibly earned the move up for his role in bringing down Lieutenant General Gu Junshan. The investigation of Gu, in turn, led to the dramatic detention of Xu Caihou, a former vice-chairman of the military commission and former Politburo member. Both Xu and Gu have been ensnared in what the party has termed “anti-corruption” probes.

“Anti-corruption” is undoubtedly a misnomer. Chinese ruler Xi Jinping, from all appearances, is merely using corruption charges as an excuse to eliminate political adversaries, so Liu’s moves to rid the army of corruption have served Xi’s purposes well. It is no surprise that China’s supremo has publicly acknowledged his friendship with General Liu. Both are considered “princelings,” a term that includes children of former leaders. Liu is the eldest son of Liu Shaoqi, once Mao Zedong’s chosen successor.

What can be wrong with promoting an anti-corruption crusader like Liu Yuan? The general, unfortunately, is well known for his disturbing opinions. He publicly calledthe US a “whore” a decade ago, he was openly sympathetic to Osama bin Laden, and he famously declared that “man cannot survive without killing.” “Military culture is the oldest and most important wisdom of humanity,” he wrote in a preface (pdf) to Changing Our View of Culture and History, a collection of leftist essays published at the end of 2010. “Without war, where would grand unity come from? Without force, how could fusion of the nation, the race, the culture, the south and the north be achieved?”

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