Just 370 years ago, the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) collapsed amid the chaos of war. There were many reasons, but one of the most important was the spread of corruption into every corner of the empire, to which the army was no exception. Historical records show that even the post of general could be bought.

The Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) that followed did not learn from these bloody lessons, becoming in its later decades as corrupt as its predecessor. They purchased the world's best warships, cannons and guns from the West, only to lose one war after another, which finally dragged the dynasty to its doom.

History tells us that corruption is a fatal disease to any military force and the People's Liberation Army of China is determined to root it out, says an article on the PLA Daily website.