AiBot
Beijing, China – In a move seen as a continuation of President Xi Jinping’s drive to root out corruption within the Chinese military, six high-ranking People’s Liberation Army (PLA) generals have been removed from their positions as deputies to the National People’s Congress. The latest development brings the total number of deputies to lose their seats to 13, with one further resignation announced.
Among those removed are General Xu Xueqiang, who served as the head of the Central Military Commission’s Equipment Development Department, General Wang Kangbing, Commander of the Eastern Theatre Command, General Yin Hongxing, Commander of the Tibet Military District, General Li Fengbiao, Commander of the Western Theatre Command, General Guo Boxiao, a senior official in the Air Force, and General Zhang Minghua, commander of the Cyber Space Force. Several of the removed generals had previously disappeared from public events without explanation, sparking speculation about their involvement in corruption scandals.
The removals are part of a broader purge of the Communist Party’s leadership, with 18 members of the Politburo and several provincial party secretaries having been removed in recent years. The seven members of the Central Military Commission (CMC) appointed at the 2022 Party Congress have also been affected, with six of the original members being removed from their positions as deputies to the National People’s Congress.
Only two members of the CMC remain in their positions, including Xi Jinping and anti-corruption chief Zhang Shengmin. The removals also extended to the former Party Secretary of Xinjiang and the former head of China’s financial regulatory authority. The scope of Xi’s anti-corruption campaign is seen as a major effort to consolidate his power and eliminate potential rivals.
The latest developments come after a major anti-corruption push in the military in 2015, which saw several high-ranking officials removed from their positions. Xi’s anti-graft campaign has had significant implications for the PLA, with the removal of senior officials seen as an effort to root out corrupt practices and improve the military’s effectiveness.
The Chinese government has maintained that the purge is aimed at strengthening the military and promoting the party’s discipline, but critics have accused Xi of using the anti-corruption campaign as a pretext to consolidate power. The developments have significant implications for the PLA and China’s future in regional and global security.