One of China's most powerful military officials has been suspended and is under investigation for "serious violations of discipline", becoming the latest senior officer to be caught up in a sweeping anti-corruption crackdown.
Miao Hua directs the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission (CMC) that commands China's People's Liberation Army (PLA).
He works alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is chairman of the CMC.
Mr Miao is responsible for ideological conformity within the army on the six-person committee.
His position is more powerful than that of China's defence minster, Dong Jun.
In China, the defence minister's role is focused on defence diplomacy, rather than controlling the army, which is the job of the CMC.
Defence Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian confirmed the probe into Miao at a press conference in Beijing on Thursday, but provided no further details.
"Serious violations of discipline" is a phrase commonly used by authorities in China as a euphemism for corruption.
China expert at London-based think-tank Chatham House, William Matthews, said it was a significant development and posed more questions about Mr Xi's political judgement.
"This is a serious scandal and part of an ongoing and clearly expanding investigation into corruption across the PLA … at the highest levels," Dr Matthews told the ABC.
"These are people who have been picked by Xi in concert with his determination to make the PLA into a world-class fighting force, so this is a serious problem.
"The PLA is an essential tool for the Chinese Communist Party's power … and as chairman, it is essential for Xi Jinping's security to have loyalty in the PLA."
James Char, a China security scholar at Singapore's S.Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said Mr Miao was a Xi "acolyte".
"Clearly, Xi Jinping's trust in yet another of his uniformed subordinates has been misplaced," Mr Char told Reuters.
"If Miao Hua is eventually found guilty, the CMC chairman himself probably failed to size up the extent of corruption among China's military elites."
Questions persist over Chinese defence minister
The Financial Times reported this week that Mr Dong was being investigated as part of the wide-ranging anti-corruption investigation, citing current and former US officials.
Mr Wu dismissed the reports as "sheer fabrication".
Mr Dong last week declined to meet with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at a meeting of ministers in Laos.
Mr Wu, citing Mr Dong, said that decision was made because the US had been "seriously undermining regional peace and stability".
Beijing has deepened a crackdown on alleged graft in the armed forces over the past year, with Mr Xi this month ordering the military to stamp out corruption and strengthen its "war-preparedness".
Dr Matthews said questions over both Mr Dong and Mr Miao at the same time raised questions about the performance of the PLA.
"It certainly calls into question how ready, from a command structure perspective, the PLA actually is for fighting a conflict."
The growing corruption scandal has rocked the upper echelons of China's military in recent years.
In June this year, former defence minister Li Shangfu and his predecessor Wei Fenghe were found guilty of corruption.
Both were expelled from the Chinese Communist Party for "serious violations of discipline".
At least nine people from the PLA and a handful of defence industry executives have been removed from the national legislative body since an anti-corruption purge began last year.
Many of those ousted earlier were from the Rocket Force — an elite arm of the PLA that oversees its most advanced conventional and nuclear missiles.
Despite the purge, Dr Matthews said he still expected China to continue its military and political pressure on places like Taiwan.
He said such a reaction could be seen as soon as next week, when Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te tours visits Hawaii and Guam.
