China suspends senior military general, probe started

China has suspended a top military general who is being probed for a "serious violation of rules," the Defense Ministry said Thursday.

Miao Hua, one of six members of the Central Military Commission (CMC), "has been placed under investigation for (a) suspected serious violation of rules," said Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian.

"Serious violation of rules," in Chinese state jargon, usually refers to cases of graft.

The development comes a day after The Financial Times claimed Beijing was investigating Dong Jung, the country's defense minister.

China dismissed the report as groundless "shadow chasing."

Miao is an admiral in the People's Liberation Army's Navy and has been serving as director of the commission's political department.

Led by President Xi Jinping, the commission oversees the Chinese military in general.

According to the South China Morning Post daily, Miao was "last seen in public" on Oct. 7 when he attended 70th anniversary celebrations of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.

The corps is a state-run paramilitary organization in the northwestern Uyghur autonomous region.