Why Were Two Lieutenant Generals Suddenly Removed as NPC Delegates?

Photo Caption: The first session of the 14th National People's Congress will open on March 5, 2023, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

[People News] The Chinese military has seen significant turbulence recently. On December 23, Xi Jinping promoted Chen Hui, a non-loyalist, to the rank of General, appointing him as the Political Commissar of the Army to replace Qin Shutong. This indirectly confirmed earlier rumors about Qin’s arrest. Qin, a trusted figure from Xi’s core faction in the military (the 31st Group Army in Fujian), previously served as a Political Department Director and was reportedly a close associate of Xi’s military confidant, Miao Hua. Qin’s downfall appears connected to Miao’s investigation. Xi’s somber expression throughout the promotion ceremony underscores that this is a major blow to him, further proving that Xi’s grip over the military has weakened. It is increasingly evident that Zhang Youxia and the senior CCP elders behind him may be exerting control over the military.

Just two days after the promotion, on the evening of December 25, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) announced that several NPC delegates were dismissed. Among them, the Army’s Representative Assembly decided to revoke the NPC membership of You Haitao, and the Navy’s Representative Assembly removed Li Pengcheng as a delegate. The use of “removal” indicates that both individuals are under investigation, most likely for corruption.

You Haitao, born in 1958, is the son of You Taizhong, former commander of the Chengdu and Guangzhou Military Regions. You Haitao previously served as Commander of the 163rd Infantry Division of the 42nd Group Army. In 2002, he became Deputy Commander of the 42nd Army, and in 2007, he was promoted to Army Commander. The headquarters of the 42nd Army is located in Huizhou, Guangdong Province. This unit boasts advanced weaponry, with its 124th Mechanized Division being one of the earliest rapid-response combat units in the entire PLA.

In 2013, You was promoted to Deputy Commander of the Nanjing Military Region and earned the rank of Lieutenant General the following year. In January 2016, he was appointed Deputy Commander of the Army. By March 2023, he was relegated to a ceremonial post as a member of the NPC’s Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, a clear sign of his political sidelining.

Any discussion of You Haitao inevitably brings up Zhang Yang, the former Director of the Political Department of the Central Military Commission (CMC), who "hanged himself" in November 2017 after being implicated in the cases of Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou. After his death, Zhang Yang was expelled from the Party, stripped of his military rank, and his illicit gains were confiscated.

Zhang Yang reportedly bribed Guo and Xu with over 20 million yuan each. According to multiple sources, Zhang Yang was infamously corrupt during his tenure in the Guangzhou Military Region, earning nicknames like "Sack Commissar" and "Sack Zhang" for allegedly using sacks to haul bribes.

You Haitao and Zhang Yang had considerable overlap during their time in the 42nd Army. Zhang served as Political Commissar of the 163rd Division in 1996, Political Department Director of the 42nd Army in 1999, and rose to Political Commissar of the 42nd Army in 2002. During this period, You and Zhang were colleagues, but Zhang's career ascended more rapidly. In December 2004, Zhang became Director of the Political Department of the Guangzhou Military Region, advancing to Director of the General Political Department in 2012, and subsequently a member of the CMC. In 2015, he was appointed the first Director of the newly-formed CMC Political Work Department.

What Could Have Happened? As early as September this year, during the Xiangshan Forum, rumors circulated that Li Pengcheng, Qin Shutong, and Army Deputy Commander Deng Zhiping had been arrested. On September 13, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) announced that Deng Zhiping’s role as a 14th NPC delegate had been revoked on June 6, confirming that Deng had been implicated in wrongdoing.

Deng Zhiping previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Chengdu Military Region and transitioned to Deputy Chief of Staff of the Western Theater Command in January 2016. In March 2021, he became Deputy Commander of the Army, overlapping with You Haitao for three years when You served as Deputy Commander starting in 2016. One possibility is that Deng’s case implicated You Haitao. Another possibility is a connection to the downfall of Army Commander Li Qiaoming. Li Qiaoming assumed the role of Army Commander in 2023 and had only brief interactions with You Haitao, but it cannot be ruled out that You was involved in some way.

Regarding Li Qiaoming’s troubles, two theories circulate overseas. One suggests that Li, a trusted associate of Zhang Youxia, fell victim to Xi Jinping’s efforts to reclaim military control after losing power at the Third Plenary Session. Xi may have sought to eliminate Zhang’s key ally. The other theory posits that Li was persuaded by Xi to betray Zhang Youxia, leading to Zhang’s retaliation. Given You Haitao’s seven-year tenure in the Army, he likely possesses insider knowledge.

After rumors of Li Pengcheng’s fall surfaced in September, confirmation had been awaited. With his removal now official, it is clear he has indeed been taken down.

Born in 1963, Li Pengcheng previously served as Commander of a fast-attack boat detachment in the East Sea Fleet and held leadership positions in a naval base in Fujian. Later, he became Deputy Chief of Staff of the North Sea Fleet and, during this tenure, commanded the 16th naval escort mission to the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters. After completing the escort mission, he was appointed President of the Naval Equipment Research Institute. From 2016, Li held positions such as Chief of Staff of the East Sea Fleet and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Navy, achieving the rank of Rear Admiral. In 2024, he became Commander of the Southern Theater Navy and was promoted to Vice Admiral.

Li Pengcheng’s career intersected with that of former Defense Minister Dong Jun, who was recently investigated in connection with the Miao Hua case. Dong Jun previously held positions as Head of the Navy’s Training Department, Deputy Chief of Staff of the North Sea Fleet, and Commander of Unit 92269 of the Navy. In 2013, he became Deputy Commander of the East Sea Fleet, rising to Navy Deputy Chief of Staff in 2014, and Southern Theater Deputy Commander in 2017. In 2021, he became Navy Deputy Commander and subsequently Navy Commander before replacing Li Shangfu as Defense Minister in 2023.

Dong Jun reportedly advanced his career through Miao Hua’s influence, and Li Pengcheng, who had connections with Dong, likely belonged to the same faction aligned with Xi and Miao Hua. Considering Xi’s focus on Taiwan and his prioritization of the East Sea Fleet, it is plausible that Li Pengcheng, as Chief of Staff of the East Sea Fleet, gained Xi’s favor.

Undoubtedly, the downfall of You Haitao and Li Pengcheng underscores that the military purge remains ongoing. As more high-ranking officers are removed, the true power players within the military will gradually become clearer to outside observers.

(First published in People News)