The unending spate of suicides among government and military officials accused by Beijing of corruption highlights the fallout from a deadly power struggle between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his political rivals in the Communist Party of China (CPC).

It also sheds a discomfiting light on the motivation of some of those accused that sought to prevent the destruction of their families by Xi's vengeful sycophants.

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The number of officials committing suicides is unprecedented. The official Guangming Daily newspaper reported 68 officials committed suicide between 2003 and 2012 when Hu Jintao was president.

That number was easily exceeded in the first two years of Xi's administration with at least 77 officials committing suicide. Xi took office in November 2012. That number has certainly risen since 2015 and might now exceed 100 suicides.

Chinese media is now focusing a light on the human cost of this purge, noting that by killing themselves, people under investigation by the government for alleged corruption can bring a decisive end to an investigation that will likely destroy their families, as well.

This was clearly on the mind of the late Chen Hongqiao, 49, president of state-owned Guosen Securities Company in Shenzhen, who took his life on Oct. 22, 2015 after being accused by Beijing of being one of those responsible for the stock market crash in 2015 that wiped out billions of dollars.

Chen, who hanged himself from the balcony of his home in Shenzhen, left a note to the government stating:  "Please leave my wife and children alone."

Suicides are also rampant among the senior ranks of the demoralized People's Liberation Army (PLA), the armed forces of the communist party.

Chinese media reported that this August, three Chinese military officers committed suicides. Their deaths are suspected to be linked to Xi's anti-corruption drive against allegedly corrupt military officials and those allied with his political foes, former Chinese presidents Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin, who preceded Xi.

Maj. Gen. Chen Jie, 54, of the Southern Theatre Command committed suicide on Aug. 5 by taking an overdose of sleeping pills, but Beijing claims there is no conclusive evidence his suicide was linked to corruption.

Previous to Chen's suicide, a publicity director of a political office in Nanjing, also belonging to the Southern Theatre Command, also committed suicide. Senior Captain Li Fuwen, director of the navy's logistics enterprises management center, leapt to his death from a building in the navy's complex in Beijing.

Media reported all the three suicides came after two former leading generals -- Xu Caihou and Guo Boxiong of the powerful Central Military Commission -- were being investigated for corruption.

Analysts believe this series of suicides indicated Xi's campaign against graft within the PLA had entered its second round. More suicides are expected.

Tagssuicides, china, Xi Jinping, Hu Jintao, Jiang Zemin, Chen Hongqiao, Guosen Securities