A series of incidents involving top Chinese military industry officials

The website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China and the National Supervisory Commission announced on April 3 that Li Zhaozhi, the former director of the Equipment Support Department of the Ordnance Industry Group, is suspected of serious violations of discipline and law and is currently under investigation by the Group’s Discipline Inspection and Supervision Team and the Shuozhou Municipal Supervisory Committee of Shanxi Province. Li Zhaozhi is at least the third senior executive of the Ordnance Industry Group to be investigated in the past six months.

Public information shows that Li Zhaozhi served as deputy director and director of the material supply department of Jinxi Machinery Factory, manager of the material supply and marketing company of Jinxi Machinery Industry Group Co., Ltd., deputy general manager of Jinxi Machinery Industry Group Co., Ltd., Beijing Northern Hongqi Electromechanical Co., Ltd. Chairman, Party Committee Secretary, etc. Jinxi Machinery Industry Group is a subsidiary group of Ordnance Industry Group Company.

In July last year, a collective corruption case was reported in the Rocket Force of the Communist Party of China. Not only was former Rocket Force commander Li Yuchao removed from his post, but Li Shangfu, the former director of the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission, was also removed from the post of defense minister.

In December of the same year, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) approved the revocation of the qualifications of Wu Yansheng, Liu Shiquan, and Wang Changqing as members of the CPPCC. Among them, Liu Shiquan is the chairman of China Ordnance Industry Group. Hong Kong's "Sing Tao Daily" quoted news that these three people were involved in a corruption case involving the Rocket Force's military equipment procurement, and Li Shangfu was also involved.

According to China’s Beijing News, before Li Zhaozhi, on February 4 this year, Zhang Jianwu, the former party secretary of the Ordnance Industry Group Changchun Equipment Technology Research Institute, was investigated; on December 13 last year, the Ordnance Industry Group Beiben Heavy Duty Truck Group Co., Ltd. Guo Pingxiao, executive deputy chairman of the company’s Science and Technology Committee, was also investigated.

China Ordnance Industry Group is a very large state-owned enterprise managed by the central government. It provides weapons, equipment and services to China's army, navy, air force, rocket force, strategic support force and armed police and public security. Ordnance Industry Group's revenue last year was US$82.689 billion (approximately RMB 597.6 billion), ranking 146th among the Fortune Global 500 in 2023.