Xi vows strike on military corruption

BEIJING, July 31  -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged a harsh strike against military corruption as the People's Liberation Army (PLA) prepares for the 87th anniversary of its establishment on Friday.

Xi, who heads the Central Military Commission (CMC), urged troops to strengthen their ties with the people and avoid undesirable work styles such as formalism, bureaucracy, hedonism and extravagance.

The president made the remarks during a Wednesday visit to the headquarters of the military region of Fujian, where he worked for 17 years.

Xi stressed the need for military to be loyal to the Communist Party of China (CPC), saying "the Party's absolute leadership over the army should be unswervingly adhered to."

While addressing officers, he called for intensified drills to improve troops' fighting abilities and ensure they can win battles.

The president has showed his determination to root out pervasive military corruption in order to safeguard the integrity of the PLA.

The CPC last month announced that Xu Caihou who retired as vice chairman of the CMC last year, had been expelled from the Party for bribery and may face prosecution.

Investigation found that Xu took advantage of his post to assist the promotion of other people and accepted bribes personally and through his family members.

Before the downfall of Xu, Gu Junshan, a former senior military logistics officer, was charged with embezzlement, bribery, misuse of state funds and abuse of power. The case was filed to a military court in March.