China expels top generals in major anti-corruption crackdown

BEIJING: China has expelled two senior generals from both the military and the Communist Party, with nine other high-ranking officials under investigation for corruption.

The move marks the latest phase of President Xi Jinping’s decades-long anti-corruption campaign, which has targeted officials in the party, government and armed forces.

The announcement comes days before a four-day key leadership meeting in Beijing, where top officials are expected to discuss long-term economic and strategic goals.

He Weidong, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), was dismissed for “serious violations of discipline,” according to Defense Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang. He has not been seen in public since March, fueling speculation about his status. The ministry did not disclose his current whereabouts.

Miao Hua, the former head of the CMC’s Political Work Department, was also expelled, having already been formally removed from his post earlier this year.

Zhang confirmed that eight of the nine officials involved had also had their Communist Party membership stripped.

President Xi has often called corruption “the biggest threat” to the party’s survival, saying that the campaign to root out corruption remains “serious and complex.”

While the move has been hailed by some as a necessary step toward clean governance, critics say it also strengthens Xi’s political control by sidelining rivals within the party and military.

“The severe punishment of He Weidong, Miao Hua, and others demonstrates the Party Central Committee’s firm determination to continue the fight against corruption,” Zhang said, adding that the crackdown has helped build a “more united and battle-ready People’s Liberation Army.”

This is not the first time that top military leaders have been removed under Xi Jinping’s watch. Former Defense Minister Li Shangfu was removed from office in 2023 after just seven months in the role and was later expelled for alleged bribery.

The latest expulsions coincide with preparations for the upcoming Fourth Plenum, a key Communist Party meeting that will outline China’s economic strategy through 2030, focusing on technological independence, defense modernization, and national economic resilience.