Porcelain

The president of China Xi Jinping On Saturday he said that political loyalty in the army must be guaranteed and called for a decisive push to fight corruption as the military purge widens.

“There should be no one in the military who harbors disloyalty toward the (ruling Communist) Party,” Xi said in remarks carried by the official Xinhua news agency.

Xi was speaking at a plenary meeting of the delegation of the People’s Liberation Army and the Chinese People’s Armed Police Force, as Porcelain holds its annual “two-session” meetings of its highest legislative body and its highest political advisory body.

An anti-corruption campaign launched by Xi shows no signs of letting up after more than a decade. The military has been the target of attacks in recent years, including the ouster of its top general last month, as Xi seeks to reform and modernize the armed forces.

Analysts say the campaign is also a way for Xi, who is in his 14th year in power, to eliminate potential rivals and ensure absolute loyalty among his subordinates.

Last week, the National People’s Congress dismissed nine military officers, including two from the Central Military Commission, the military’s top body, as well as others from the army, navy, air force and rocket force. This week three generals were removed from China’s top political advisory body.

“There should be no hiding place for corrupt individuals,” Xinhua quoted Xi as saying on Saturday. “We must decisively promote the fight against corruption.”

Chinese leaders this week also promised defense budget growth of 7% this year to around 1.9 trillion yuan ($270 billion), slightly less than the annual increase of around 7.2% over the past three years.