Admiral Miao Hua was accused of "serious violations of discipline", a common euphemism for corruption.

That made him the latest senior figure to fall in a sweeping crackdown on graft in the armed forces under Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Miao has now been officially removed from his post as a member of the powerful Central Military Commission under the ruling Communist Party, state news agency Xinhua said.

The Xinhua report did not provide any further information about the investigation into Miao's alleged corruption.

A foreign ministry spokesperson declined to comment when asked for details during a regular news conference.

Beijing has intensified a crackdown on corruption in the military in recent years, resulting in the removal of several key officials.

Xi has made rooting out alleged graft from all levels of government a top priority since coming to power just over a decade ago.

He has called graft "the biggest threat" to the Communist Party and said "the fight against corruption remains grave and complex."

Proponents say the policy promotes clean governance but others say it also serves as a tool for Xi to purge political rivals.