China has begun publicly soliciting tips from citizens about procurement corruption in the Rocket Force, the branch responsible for the country's nuclear arsenal and strategic ballistic missiles.
The Chinese military is actively inviting outside reports to identify problems across the Rocket Force's entire purchasing process, the South China Morning Post reported on the 26th.
A notice posted on the People's Liberation Army's official procurement website on the 24th of this month asked anyone with knowledge of suspected illegal conduct in Rocket Force procurement — including weapons suppliers, bidding institutions, review panel members and military personnel involved — to come forward.
The scope of the investigation is sweeping, covering purchases of goods and services, construction projects, and the sourcing of food and medical supplies. The SCMP reported that the review targets the entire process, from the drafting of specifications through evaluation, contract performance and online purchasing. No time limit was set on when the violations may have occurred, and tips will be accepted through the end of November this year.
The SCMP noted this is not the PLA's first public call for tips. A similar request was made in December last year over air force procurement corruption, and in August 2024 the military sought reports on online procurement violations by the cyber unit established that April.
The move comes amid a sweeping purge of senior Chinese military officials. Hundreds of general-grade officers have been dismissed or placed under investigation, including five of the seven members of the Central Military Commission, the military's top decision-making body.
The Rocket Force in particular has earned a reputation as the military's most corruption-prone organization, as all four commanders who have led it since its creation in 2015 have been investigated or disciplined on graft allegations.
Wei Fenghe, the inaugural commander and a former defense minister, was investigated in 2023 and stripped of both his party and military membership the following year. His successors, Zhou Yaning (2017-2022) and Li Yuchao (2022-2023), also lost their seats as delegates to the National People's Congress in 2023 and were placed under investigation. Wang Houbin, the fourth commander who took the post in 2023, was expelled from the party and the military shortly after an investigation opened in October last year, and was handed over to judicial authorities for criminal prosecution.
The Rocket Force traces its origins to the Second Artillery Corps, established on July 1, 1966, to operate strategic and tactical missiles and nuclear weapons. It was reorganized into its current form on Dec. 31, 2015, as part of President Xi Jinping's military reform drive.
