Hong Kong ( CNN ) Disgraced former People 's Liberation Army ( PLA ) general Xu Caihou has died of bladder cancer , Chinese state media has reported . He was 71 . Xu , who passed away at a hospital on Sunday , became one of the highest-profile figures in China 's military to be caught up in President Xi Jinping 's war on corruption last year , when the government launched an investigation into him on the back of bribery allegations . The court decided not to prosecute Xu due to his illness , but said his illegal income , including the bribes he was determined to have accepted would be handled in accordance with the law . Formerly a vice-chairman of China 's Central Military Commission , the body which runs the two-million strong PLA , Xu was also expelled from the Chinese Communist Party and had his rank of general revoked , according to a statement from the state-run Xinhua news agency . A seven-month investigation , which began in March last year , found that Xu took advantage of his position to assist the promotion of other people . He confessed to accepting bribes personally and through his family . He was also found to have sought profits for others in exchange for bribes taken through his family members . The amount he received was `` extremely huge , '' the statement added . In Chinese President Xi Jinping 's annual New Year speech , he reiterated China 's `` zero-tolerance '' stance towards corruption , vowing to keep `` waving high the sword against corruption '' and `` fastening the cage of regulations . '' 2014 saw Xi take down two top officials in China 's fight against corruption , in addition to Xu . He took down former domestic security czar Zhou Yongkang , likely soon to become the most senior Chinese official ever to face corruption charges , and Ling Jihua , a top aide to ex-President Hu Jintao . State media have touted the trio as the three biggest `` tigers '' caught in Xi 's now-two year old anti-graft campaign , which has a stated goal of targeting both `` tigers and flies '' -- high-and low-ranking officials .
Xu , a former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission , dies of bladder cancer . The official was the most senior military leader to face corruption charges in recent memory . - May 10 : A man is killed and two others are injured when an explosion occurs at a chemical plant near Shanghai's Pudong district. Xu took advantage of his position to promote others and take bribes .