China has accused a former deputy director of its defence industry regulator of bribery and abuse of influence, as Beijing continues its anti-corruption campaign within the military and allied industries, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate announced on Tuesday.
The official, Zhang Jianhua, 64, allegedly accepted bribes and used his positions at the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND) to secure improper benefits for others. The prosecutor described the amounts involved as “particularly large.”
Anti-Graft Drive Targets Military and Strategic Industries
Zhang, who spent nearly 40 years in state-owned defence firm China North Industries Group before moving to regulatory roles, was in charge of a project review centre and the regulator’s finance and audit department. He turned himself in May 2025, prompting the top anti-graft watchdog to launch an investigation. In October, he was expelled from the Chinese Communist Party.
The case is part of a wider shake-up in the defence sector, following the recent removal of three lawmakers with ties to China’s defence, aerospace, and nuclear industries, though authorities have not disclosed the reasons.
Xi Jinping Pushes Military Modernisation Amid Corruption Concerns
President Xi Jinping has repeatedly vowed to eradicate graft, while pushing the military to modernise its structure, weapons, and personnel by 2027. Analysts have warned that corruption within key defence institutions could disrupt these goals.
China’s score of 43 on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index last year, unchanged from 2024, places it below the United States, which scored 64, and above neighbouring India, which scored 39.
Strategic Implications
Observers note that tackling corruption in the defence sector is critical as China aims to integrate mechanisation, intelligence, and modern weaponry. The indictment of high-level officials like Zhang demonstrates Beijing’s determination to address graft that could threaten national security and military efficiency.
(with inputs from Reuters)
