Clear up 'bad influence' left by corrupt generals: Xi Jinping

BEIJING: President Xi Jinping today warned Chinese military officials to "not cross the line" and cautioned them against the "bad influence" left by disgraced army generals being prosecuted for serious corruption charges.

Xi said the armed forces should learn a lesson from the prosecution of 70-year-old Gen Xu Caihou -- the powerful Vice Chairman of Military Commission under former President Hu Jintao who controlled the armed forces till 2012.

The army should "fully clear up the bad influence" left by this case in the army's ideological, political and organisational work as well as the style of work, said Xi during an inspection tour to the Nanjing Military Area Command of the People's Liberation of Army ( PLA).

"Officers of all levels, especially senior ones, should remain alert, be in awe and not cross the line," he said.

According to prosecutors, Xu was found to have taken advantage of his position to assist the promotion of others, accepting huge bribes -- personally and via his family -- and to have sought profits for others in exchange for bribes.

Xi, also the general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of Central Military Commission (CMC), also named another former senior military officer Gu Junshan who was charged with embezzlement, bribery, misuse of state funds and abuse of power in March.

He ordered all military officers to learn a lesson from these "bad examples".

Xi stressed that more efforts should be made to tighten up the promotion, supervision, appraisal and management of senior officers.

In terms of loyalty building, Xi asked the armed forces to make sure that all officers and soldiers firmly follow the command of the ruling CPC and the CMC "in any time and under any circumstances".

Xi said the armed forces should be commanded by strict discipline and military laws, stressing that all military units should strictly follow protocols.

He called for a better military-civilian relationship and urged the armed forces to support local economic and social development and improve the cooperation between military and civilian sectors in infrastructure and defense development.