Beijing’s Dragnet Tightens on Military-Industrial Complex as Another Official Falls
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File photo: Zhang Jianhua.
China’s sweeping crackdown on corruption within its powerful military-industrial complex intensified Tuesday as prosecutors indicted a former senior defense official, marking the latest escalation in a years-long purge of the country’s aerospace and armaments sectors.
The Supreme People’s Procuratorate said Tuesday that Zhang Jianhua, the former deputy director of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, or SASTIND, faces charges of bribery and utilizing his influence to accept illicit payments. The case has been transferred to the Dazhou Intermediate People’s Court in the southwestern province of Sichuan for trial.
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- Zhang Jianhua, former SASTIND deputy director, was indicted for bribery and influence peddling, marking the fourth such prosecution of senior officials in 2026.
- Zhang is accused of corrupt acts spanning nearly 17 years, including accepting large sums for project approvals, and was expelled from the Communist Party in 2025.
- His case is part of an intensified anti-corruption crackdown in China's defense sector, which has targeted numerous aerospace and armaments executives since 2018.
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Who’s Who
- China North Industries Group (Norinco)
- Zhang Jianhua, a former deputy director of SASTIND, previously worked at China North Industries Group (Norinco). He held roles in finance and asset management within Norinco before transitioning to government defense oversight bodies in 1998. Norinco Group has seen its leaders investigated as part of China's broader anti-corruption crackdown.
- China Shipbuilding Industry Corp.
- China Shipbuilding Industry Corp. (中船重工集团) is one of China's major state-owned defense enterprises. Its leaders have been subject to anti-corruption investigations and prosecutions since 2018, as part of a broader crackdown on the country's defense establishment. Former heavyweights from the corp. include Sun Bo and Hu Wenming.
- Aviation Industry Corp. of China
- The Aviation Industry Corp. of China (AVIC) is one of the major state-owned giants in China’s defense establishment. Since 2018, its leaders have been targeted in the country's anti-corruption campaign. Specifically, Zhou Xinmin, the former chairman of AVIC, was investigated in 2026 as part of this ongoing crackdown.
- China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. (CASC)
- Wu Yansheng, a top executive at China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. (CASC), was stripped of his political titles in late 2023. This action is part of a broader anti-corruption crackdown within China's military-industrial complex that has targeted numerous leaders from major state-owned defense enterprises.
- China National Nuclear Corp.
- Gu Jun, former general manager of China National Nuclear Corp. (CNNC), is under investigation in 2026. This is part of a broader crackdown on corruption within China's military-industrial complex. CNNC is one of the major state-owned enterprises whose leaders have been targeted in recent years.
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What Happened When
- 2008：
- Zhang Jianhua allegedly began his corrupt activities around the time of his appointment as director of the agency’s project review center.
- 2008：
- SASTIND was placed under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology following restructuring; Zhang continued his rise afterward.
- By end of 2008：
- Under Zhang’s leadership, the project review center cut 1.249 billion yuan in investment costs.
- 2011：
- Zhang became chief engineer of SASTIND.
- 2013：
- Zhang became vice director of SASTIND.
- Since 2018：
- Authorities have taken down leaders from major state-owned military/defense companies.
- Early 2020：
- Zhang made public statements on the role of nuclear technology in medical logistics during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- October 2021：
- Zhang stepped down as deputy director of SASTIND.
- Late 2023：
- Central inspection teams scrutinized SASTIND, setting the stage for subsequent investigations.
- Late 2023：
- Top aerospace executives, including Wu Yansheng of CASC, were stripped of political titles.
- April 2025：
- Zhang delivered a speech at a military-civilian technology innovation contest in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province.
- May 2025：
- Zhang surrendered to authorities.
- October 2025：
- Zhang was expelled from the Communist Party.
- 2026：
- Zhang became the fourth senior centrally managed official indicted in 2026 alone, following the prosecutions of Li Wenrong, Long Xiang, and Duan Chenggang earlier in the year.
- February 10, 2026：
- Chinese prosecutors indicted Zhang Jianhua and announced the indictment.
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