China Seeks Public Tips on Procurement Violations as PLA Rocket Force Purge Continues

The Chinese regime’s military has called on the public to report procurement corruption within its Rocket Force as the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) purge continues after all previous commanders of the force were taken down.The People’s Liberation Army published a notice on its procurement portal on Aug. 24 titled “Announcement on Illegal Procurement Issues Concerning the Recruitment of Rocket Force,” specifically targeting its Rocket Force, the strategic missile branch of the Chinese military.The notice publicly solicits information from suppliers, evaluation experts, bidding agencies, bidding agents, and project-related personnel within the military who participate in the Rocket Force’s procurement activities on violations ranging from pre-material services, engineering projects, supplementary food supplies, and medical equipment or consumables to projects handled by bidding agencies. It covers the whole procurement process, including requirements planning, bid evaluation, contract performance, and online procurement.A similar notice was issued on July 26, 2023, by the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission, soliciting from the public leads regarding violations of regulations and discipline by experts involved in equipment procurement tender evaluations since October 2017.The latest notice did not set a time limit on when the alleged violations occurred. Tips from whistleblowers and the public will be accepted via a special telephone line until Nov. 30, 2026.Unlike the 2023 notice that covered all branches, this latest instance specifically targets the Rocket Force. While the 2023 notice focused on the procurement of weaponry and equipment, the August 2026 notice expanded the scope to include routine supplies, services, engineering projects, and frontline logistical procurement items, such as non-staple foodstuffs and medical consumables.Li Linyi, a U.S.-based China analyst, told The Epoch Times that this latest notice indicates that “although all four previous commenders of the Rocket Force have been taken down by the CCP leader Xi Jinping, and top generals Zhang Youxia and Li Shangfu, who previously oversaw the military’s equipment sector, have been taken down and investigated, the internal purge of the Rocket Force is far from over and is continuing to expand in scope.”Missiles are seen during a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender and the end of World War II in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on Sept. 3, 2025. Greg Baker/AFP via Getty ImagesThe Rocket Force was formed from the Second Artillery Force during the military reforms undertaken by the CCP in late 2015. It is the branch responsible for land-based nuclear and conventional ballistic missiles.Currently, the position of Rocket Force Commander is vacant after the last commander, Wang Houbin, was taken down in 2025 for corruption and serious violation of discipline.The first commander of the Rocket Force, General Wei Fenghe (December 2015–August 2017); the second commander, General Zhou Yaning (August 2017–January 2022); and the third commander, General Li Yuchao (January 2022–July 2023) were expelled from the Party and the military and stripped of the rank of general for corruption and serious violations of discipline, the CCP announced in 2024.The Epoch Times reported previously that some of the missile silos deployed in the vast fields in northwestern China have faulty lids, and missiles are sometimes filled with water instead of fuel, according to U.S. intelligence agencies. These severe malfunctions are believed to be the result of rampant corruption throughout the Chinese military and defense industry.Li said that the CCP’s recent announcement soliciting leads on procurement violations within the Rocket Force—which extends the scope of investigation to grassroots logistics procurement—reveals the intricate and complex web of corruption within the military.“With a ‘dig-deep’ approach now underway, a number of active-duty generals, and potentially even more retired ones, are likely to face trouble,” he said. “The authoritarian system itself is a breeding ground for corruption.”Li noted that Xi’s prolonged purge within the military has had another side effect: “It has destabilized military morale, sparked anti-Xi sentiment within the armed forces, deepened the crisis of his rule, and even raised the possibility of a backlash.”Tang Bing contributed to this report.