China investigates defense minister for corruption — report

China's Defense Minister Dong Jun has been placed under investigation for corruption, British newspaper Financial Times (FT) reported on Wednesday.

If confirmed, Dong would be the third consecutive serving or former Chinese defense minister to be investigated for alleged corruption.

According to the FT, the investigation was part of a broader probe into military corruption.

Last week, Dong declined to meet US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a meeting of defense ministers in Laos, citing US actions over Taiwan.

Third defense minister investigated

China's military has undergone a sweeping anti-corruption purge since last year.

Dong, a former navy commander, was appointed defense minister in December following the surprise removal of Li Shangfu just seven months into the job.

Li was later expelled from the Communist Party for offenses including suspected bribery, according to Chinese state media.

He has since not been seen in public.

His predecessor, Wei Fenghe, too, was kicked out from the party over alleged corruption.

Beijing has deepened its crackdown on corruption in its armed forces over the past year.

It comes amid fears that graft may affect China's ability to wage a future war, Bloomberg reported, citing US officials this year.

ftm/sri (Reuters, AFP)