Adm. Miao Hua is one of six members of the highest-ranking body of military command, which Xi Jinping personally leads.

China has suspended a top military official and placed him under investigation for corruption, the defense ministry said, as leader Xi Jinping broadens a sweeping purge in the upper ranks of the world's largest military.

The confirmation of an investigation into Miao Hua and his suspension marks the latest chapter in a growing corruption scandal engulfing China's military elites.