At the end of June, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held a meeting where it was decided to expel former State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe from the Party, accusing him of “betraying loyalty.” Analysts believe this term might imply that hostile forces recruited Wei Fenghe.
On Wednesday (10th), the South China Morning Post reported that Wei Fenghe is the first official in the past decade to be charged with “betraying loyalty” by the CCP’s disciplinary inspection committee. The article cites multiple Chinese experts who interpret “betraying loyalty” as having connotations of treason, suggesting that Wei Fenghe’s actions might have allowed China’s enemies to gain an advantage.
According to a report released by Beijing authorities on June 27 regarding the investigation results and handling opinions on Wei Fenghe’s case, in addition to being accused of seriously violating political discipline, failing to fulfill comprehensive strict governance responsibilities, resisting organizational review, and illegally accepting gifts and money, Wei Fenghe was also charged with “collapsing faith and betraying loyalty.” However, the specific acts of disloyalty have not been disclosed publicly.
A political scientist from Renmin University of China, who requested anonymity, stated that the term “betraying loyalty” is often associated with former CCP leaders Xiang Zhongfa or Gu Shunzhang. He said, “Ask any historian of the Communist Party who comes to mind when they hear the term ‘betraying loyalty,’ and they will tell you the story of Xiang Zhongfa, who is considered a major disgrace to the CCP.”
Both individuals defected after being captured by the Kuomintang army during the Chinese Civil War. Xiang Zhongfa revealed all information about the CCP and its spies, leading to the eradication of the CCP’s underground organization in Shanghai; Gu Shunzhang, who had led the CCP’s espionage organization, defected, resulting in the capture of many prominent CCP leaders. He is often called “the most dangerous traitor in CCP history” and is frequently regarded as a symbol of “betraying loyalty” in official historical records.
Hong Kong military commentator Liang Guoliang (phonetic) analyzed that Beijing’s use of such rare and severe terms to accuse Wei Fenghe “indicates that his crimes might exceed the scope of bribery.” In contrast, another former defense minister, Li Shangfu, who was expelled from the Party on the same day, was only accused of “abandoning the original mission and losing Party principles,” which are standard terms Beijing authorities use to criticize officials involved in bribery.
Liang Guoliang said, “Of course, what exactly happened is a top secret, and we won’t know. But the term ‘betraying loyalty’ seems to imply that Wei Fenghe’s actions might have given China’s enemies an advantage.”
Seventy-year-old Wei Fenghe was the first commander of the Rocket Force, which oversees most of China’s nuclear weapons and thousands of conventional missiles. Xi Jinping upgraded the Second Artillery Corps to establish the Rocket Force at the end of 2015. Before serving as Defense Minister, Wei Fenghe was the commander of the Chinese Rocket Force from 2015 to 2017.
On October 24, 2022, the United States Air Force Academy released detailed information on the Chinese Rocket Force, including the coordinates of all Rocket Force bases, personnel locations, and logistics command systems, leading to a purge of the Rocket Force leadership. Analysts claim that Wei Fenghe leaked this information.
Observers believe this incident has delayed any potential mainland China invasion of Taiwan until at least 2030.