Recently, CCP leader Xi Jinping's crackdown on the military has garnered significant attention from the international community. The accompanying image shows Xi Jinping (centre) attending a ceremony at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on September 30, 2018. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
[People News] On April 17, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) of the Communist Party of China released the second bulletin for 2026. This bulletin included a report on the qualifications of individual representatives, which, for the first time, disclosed that 12 PLA generals and military officials have been dismissed from their positions as NPC representatives. Among them, nine senior generals are accused of 'seriously violating discipline and laws,' while three military officials face charges of 'violating discipline and laws.'
The nine generals include five full generals: former Army Commander Li Qiaoming, former Navy Commander Shen Jinlong, former Navy Political Commissar Qin Shengxiang, former Air Force Political Commissar Yu Zhongfu, and former Political Commissar of the Information Support Force Li Wei. Additionally, there is one lieutenant general, Wang Donghai, who served as the Political Commissar of the Defence Mobilisation Department of the Central Military Commission. The three major generals are Bian Ruifeng, Assistant Director of the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission; Ding Laifu, Commander of the 73rd Group Army; and Yang Guang, Commander of the 64th Base of the Rocket Force.
The three military officials are Zhou Xinmin, former Chairman of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China; Luo Qi, former Chief Engineer of the China National Nuclear Corporation; and Liu Cangli, former President of the China Academy of Engineering Physics.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has not provided specific details regarding the disciplinary laws that these individuals are alleged to have violated, nor has it disclosed when these offences supposedly took place. Additionally, the CCP has not clarified why the reasons for their 'disappearance' were only revealed months later. The CCP distinguishes between 'suspected of serious disciplinary and legal violations' and 'suspected of disciplinary and legal violations.' The former category is likely to face severe scrutiny and harsh penalties, while the latter may result in lighter sentences or even economic sanctions. This indicates that military leaders who hold power are perceived by the CCP as posing a greater risk than those leading military enterprises in production and operations, necessitating more stringent actions against them.
One month prior to the CCP's Two Sessions, on February 4 and February 26, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) announced the disqualification of 19 NPC representatives, including Luo Qi, who was removed from his roles as a member of the NPC Standing Committee and the Education, Science, Culture and Health Committee. Liu Cangli also had his position as a member of the NPC Standing Committee revoked. However, the CCP did not specify the reasons for their dismissal at that time. Previously, several senior generals, including Army Commander Li Qiaoming, had been absent from public view for an extended period, leading to widespread speculation that some of them had encountered issues, although the specific reasons for their troubles remained unclear.
In a recent analysis of his self-media program, American commentator Zhang Tianliang pointed out that Li Wei is comparable to former Central Military Commission Political Work Department Director Miao Hua and former Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission He Weidong, as they all work in political roles. Former Navy Commander General Shen Jinlong, who has a background in the Chinese Communist Navy, likely has a closer relationship with Miao Hua, which may have contributed to their downfall. Qin Shengxiang, who played a crucial role in the military reform by assisting Xi Jinping in restructuring the previous seven military regions into five combat zones, is considered a trusted ally of Xi Jinping. His position as the political commissar of the Navy may have brought him closer to Miao Hua, leading to his own downfall. Meanwhile, former Air Force Political Commissar General Yu Zhongfu likely fell due to corruption linked to the Equipment Development Department. Li Qiaoming and Zhang Youxia, both veterans of the Battle of Laoshan, share a strong bond and are regarded as Zhang Youxia's loyal confidants, though it remains uncertain if they are implicated in Zhang's case.
Regarding Luo Qi and Liu Cangli, they may be involved in corruption issues within the Equipment Development Department. The official website of the Chinese Academy of Engineering has already removed information about academician Luo Qi, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences has done the same for academician Liu Cangli. Both have been taken off the list of academicians.
The People's Daily has once again failed to mention the National People's Congress status of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli. They have been absent from public view for three months, remaining silent, and there has been no high-profile criticism from the People's Liberation Army or the party and government system, leaving the situation ambiguous.
Over the past three years, internal conflicts and purges within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) military have intensified, resulting in the public dismissal of 36 senior CCP generals from their roles as representatives of the 14th National People's Congress. This group includes 16 full generals, 14 lieutenant generals, and 6 major generals. The military-industrial sector has also been significantly impacted, involving at least 12 central state-owned enterprises, such as China National Nuclear Corporation, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, Aviation Industry Corporation of China, China North Industries Group Corporation, and China Electronics Technology Group Corporation. In recent years, senior personnel from these organisations have faced investigations, dismissals, or have not made public appearances for extended periods.
Zhang Tianliang predicts that it may become increasingly rare to see public announcements regarding the downfall of CCP military officials in the future, as most full generals have already been removed from their positions. The current military leadership is largely composed of lieutenant generals stepping into roles previously held by full generals, and these lieutenant generals are likely not representatives of the CCP National People's Congress or members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Consequently, even if they are dismissed, it is improbable that there will be any official announcements regarding their removal. △
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