One year after the death of a young man who was conned into receiving substandard treatment at a military hospital, which subcontracted its cancer clinic to private owners, China's military authorities have shut down 70 percent of the army’s paid services.
According to an announcement released by China's Ministry of National Defense on June 23, Chinese military authorities had shut down 70 percent of the army's paid services by the end of May. The announcement also noted that 10 more such services will be shut down by the end of June, including preschool education, press and publication. Meanwhile, paid services in the medical and scientific fields will be completely halted by the end of 2017. Real estate leasing, military farming and sideline production, as well as hospitality services, will be stopped by the end of June 2018.
Chinese authorities have proposed four methods to shut down complicated and sensitive military paid services: immediate termination, transfer and displacement, mandatory administration and socialized support. According to the announcement, medical cooperation between the army and local enterprises or individuals will be immediately terminated, while similar joint scientific research will also be stopped.
The massive clampdown on military paid services were spurred by the death of a synovial sarcoma patient, Wei Zexi, on April 12, 2016. Wei passed away after receiving immunotherapy from a private biomedical center at the Second Hospital of Beijing Armed Police Corps, which allegedly claimed to Wei's parents that its immunotherapy would guarantee an 80 to 90 percent survival rate, and was the "most advanced technology," administered in cooperation with Stanford University.
