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Hotpot is a delicious communal meal that Chinese troops were able to make with the help of rampant corruption and readiness problems, a former officer told Radio Free Asia amid reports of new issues with the People's Liberation Army.
The ex-officer said he and other personnel used to use the fuel from missiles to cook meals, including hotpot. The example highlighted past problems with the Chinese military as the PLA and Chinese leadership grapple with new troubles potentially hindering China's efforts to transform its armed forces into a world-class military that can fight and win wars.
Yao Cheng, identified as a former lieutenant colonel and staff officer with the PLA who reportedly fled to the US in 2016, told the US government-funded Radio Free Asia that during his military service — which is not clearly stated but other interviews indicate was before more extensive military modernization efforts — there were multiple instances in which service members raided components of weapons to get by, speaking to problems within the PLA at that time.
Yao shared with Radio Free Asia that back when he was in the military, he and others would "drain fuel from aircraft fuel tanks for cooking, which burns green and has no smell at all."
"When we would eat hotpot," he continued, "we would take out the solid fuel in the missiles piece by piece, because there were insufficient supplies."
When he needed to cook, Yao said, he "would often go along to the armory and ask them for a small round piece of solid fuel when we wanted to have hotpot." Hotpot is a traditional communal Chinese meal involving a table-top pot which boils meats, seafoods, vegetables, and other cuisine.
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He made similar observations in a post on X, noting that Chinese troops consumed whatever they worked with. Yao wrote that transportation personnel sold gas, aviation troops cooked with jet fuel, warship personnel sold diesel, and missile troops would use rocket fuel. He said this sort of thing wasn't uncommon.
Yao's description of his experiences in the PLA come amid reports documenting continued issues of corruption in the force. US intelligence has reported a few cases, including missiles filled with water instead of fuel and missile silos with dysfunctional lids, according to Bloomberg.
Though these reports highlight problems, it is unclear to what extent these issues impact China's overall capabilities and readiness.
China's military has seen several leadership shakeups in the past year, which raise questions about loyalty within the ranks and Chinese leader Xi Jinping's control and trust in the PLA. Perhaps the most shocking dismissal came in October 2023, when Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu was removed from office after disappearing from public view for two months. At the time, US officials told The New York Times Li had been under investigation for corruption.
Li's departure came after Foreign Minister Qin Gang's removal in July, which came with no explanation, and the dismissal of two top commanders of China's Rocket Force in the same month.
Expert observers have assessed that Xi is likely tightening his grip on both the Chinese Communist Party and the military. In a July 2023 meeting, he stressed that the party has "absolute leadership" over the armed forces.
