中共政治局6月27日召开会议，决定开除前后两任国务委员兼国防部长魏凤和和李尚福的中共党籍。

根据官方通报，李尚福违规为本人和他人谋取人事利益；为谋取不正当利益送给他人钱款，涉嫌行贿罪。魏凤和则是违规为他人谋取人事利益。

简单地说，李尚福涉嫌到买官和卖官，而魏凤和可能涉及卖官。

他们也都涉嫌利用职务便利，为他人谋取利益并收受巨额钱款。

去年以来，解放军多名高级将领出事。中国军队为何越反越腐败？腐败问题，是否会影响解放军的战斗力？中共政治局没有同时公布前外长秦刚的下落，秦刚是平安落地了吗？

这期的早报播客《东谈西论》，听主持人韩咏红与《联合早报》中国新闻资深高级记者于泽远分析梳理中国军队的腐败问题。

延伸阅读：

• 李尚福、魏凤和被开除中共党籍 料难逃牢狱之灾
• 韩咏红：李尚福落马凸显的反腐难题

As part of an anti-corruption crackdown, China’s Communist Party expelled former defence minister Li Shangfu and his predecessor Wei Fenghe for “serious violation of party discipline and the law” last Thursday, according to Chinese state media. 

The accusations against Li and Wei include accepting gifts and money and facilitating improper benefits for others.

Li was dismissed as defence minister last October, just seven months after taking the job. His predecessor, Wei, had not been seen in public since he was replaced last March. Wei served as defence minister from 2018 to 2023 and was also the head of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force from 2015 to 2017.

These expulsions are part of a wider anti-corruption purge in the Chinese military, which has seen several generals and aerospace industry executives removed from the national legislative body. The fate of former foreign minister Qin Gang, who was removed after just seven months, remains unknown.

In this episode of Global Heartbeat podcast, host Han Yong Hong and Lianhe Zaobao’s China News Copy Editor Yu Zeyuan discuss the implications of the expulsions and ongoing crackdown on the Chinese military and broader political landscape. 

Hosted by Lianhe Zaobao’s Associate Editor, Han Yong Hong, Global Heartbeat is a Mandarin weekly news and current affairs podcast that is updated every Tuesday, 7.00 PM SGT. It is available on zaobao.sg, Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other podcast platforms.