In China, a Temporary Demotion for Military Officers

The Chinese government has enacted an unusual measure as part of its ongoing efforts to reduce military corruption. Sometime over the past weekend, Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered Chinese generals and senior officers to perform the duties of rank and file soldiers temporarily. Certainly the move is not a major military reshuffle, but Xi means to help redress the dissonance between officers and enlisted men — a problem that, in addition to corruption and nepotism, has undermined what progress the Chinese military has made in modernizing over the past 10 years. Despite it peculiarity, the order corresponds with Beijing's previous efforts to professionalize the military and cut down on the excesses that pervade its leadership.