SINCE TAKING power in 2012, Xi Jinping has worked to purge corruption from the ranks of China’s armed forces. The country’s ability to fight and win wars depends on this effort, he has said. But even Mr Xi’s protégés, appointed to restore order, seem to be part of the rot. The latest sign came on November 28th, when the defence ministry announced that Admiral Miao Hua, one of China’s most senior officers (pictured, in white), had been suspended pending investigation for “serious violations of discipline”, often a euphemism for corruption. Ostracism or imprisonment will probably follow.
