China’s military issued a crowing denunciation of a top general who has died while awaiting trial for corruption – declaring his “pathetic and shameful life” at an end.

The People’s Liberation Army Daily was responding after Xu Caihou, once chairman of China’s powerful Central Military Commission, was reported in state media to have died from bladder cancer. Xu had been under investigation since March 2014 as part of an official crackdown.

The PLA Daily, in a commentary, said Xu died on his sickbed under supervision.



“Corruption in the military is the most dangerous kind, for if the military tolerates corruption it tolerates defeat in battle,” it said.

The Chinese defence ministry said everything had been done to save Xu’s life after his illness was detected on 4 February 2013 and once he had been put under investigation he was kept in hospital.

“After Xu Caihou’s illness worsened, experts were organised in a timely manner to carry out treatment, to give a full medical guarantee,” the ministry said in a statement late on Monday.

The Xinhua news agency said Xu died of multiple organ failure arising from bladder cancer. His “illegal gains” would still be dealt with under law.



The government said in October 2014 that Xu had confessed to taking “massive” bribes in exchange for help in promotions.

His death means the Communist party will not have to risk any embarrassment that could have come from a trial and the details of graft it might have revealed, though the trial likely would have been held behind closed doors.



Xu Caihou retired as vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission in 2013 and from the ruling Communist party’s decision-making Politburo in 2012.



President Xi Jinping heads the Central Military Commission, which controls the 2.3 million-strong armed forces, and has made weeding out corruption a top goal.



Authorities are also investigating a second former top military officer on suspicion of corruption, two independent sources told the Reuters news agency recently.



Guo Boxiong, 72, was another vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission until he stepped down in 2012. The government has not confirmed the investigation.

China intensified a crackdown on corruption in the military in the 1990s, banning it from business. But the military has been involved in commerce in recent years due to a lack of checks and balances, analysts say.

Reuters contributed to this report