According to Indian intelligence agencies monitoring developments in China, Wu Guohua, deputy commander of the PLA Rocket Force, died under mysterious circumstances on June 6, but the PLA suppressed facts by altering the cause of death as cerebral haemorrhage, indicating turmoil within the PLA Rocket Force.
Curiously, following the demise of Wu Guohua, his senior and commander of the PLA Rocket Force, Lieutenant General Li Yuchao, was found missing from a promotion ceremony of the Chinese military in late June. The absence sparked speculation that Li Yuchao might be under investigation by the Chinese authorities. It was learnt that Li Yuchao had been arrested and placed under investigation. Speculation intensified with the disappearance from public view of Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang around the same time, and many sought to draw connections between Qin Gang’s disappearance and the turbulence within the PLA Rocket Force.
Reports suggest that the matter is under investigation and several high-ranking officers of the PLA have been detained for questioning. A military observer, who did not wish to be named, claimed that Wei Fenghe, a former defence minister of China and ex-commander of the PLA Rocket Force, was being investigated for alleged corruption. Similarly, other key PLA officers—Zhang Zhenzhong, Liu Guangbin and Shang Hong—associated with the rocket force were apparently under the scanner.
“All these developments clearly indicate that all is not well in the PLA. With each passing day, rumours are gaining strength of a possible revolt in the PLA against the Chinese leadership,” said a key Indian defence official closely monitoring the Chinese military.
Xi Jinping has been facing flak over the sudden disappearance of his foreign minister, who was last seen on June 25. There are also rumours of Qin Gang having an affair with state-owned Phoenix TV’s popular host Fu Xiaotian, who is suspected by Chinese authorities of being a ‘double agent’ and faces espionage charges. It is suspected that Qing Gang may have been implicated during the investigation.