Inside Xi Jinping’s latest purge: Why China just expelled its No. 2 general and eight top commanders before a crucial Communist Party session
China’s ruling Communist Party has publicly fired nine of its top generals, including the military’s second-in-command, He Weidong. The defence ministry announced on Friday,17th October, that the generals were kicked out of both the army and the Communist Party for “serious violation of party discipline” and work-related crimes involving a huge amount of money.
For the last 12 years, China’s leader, President Xi Jinping, has been leading a massive anti-corruption campaign. This crackdown has affected over a million officials across the country, from local leaders to the very top brass of the military. While the government says the goal is to create a cleaner, stronger party, many critics believe it’s also a political purge used by Xi to remove anyone who isn’t completely loyal and to secure his total control over the party and military.
Who are the fired Generals
The biggest name on the list is He Weidong. He was one of the most powerful men in China, serving as the vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the body that controls the entire armed forces. He was also a member of the 24-man Politburo, the party’s top decision-making circle. His removal is especially significant because he’s the first serving Politburo member to be investigated in this way. He hadn’t been seen in public since August, which had already fueled rumours that he was in trouble.
The other eight high-ranking officials who were removed include:
Miao Hua, The military’s head of political work and personnel; He Hongjun, Miao Hua’s deputy; Wang Xiubin, A top director at the military’s joint operations command centre; Lin Xiangyang, Commander of the Eastern Theatre; Qin Shutong, The Army’s political chief; Yuan Huazhi, The Navy’s political chief; Wang Chunning, Commander of the Armed Police Force.
A pattern of disappearances
The crackdown has created visible instability within China’s military leadership. He Weidong is the third member of the CMC to be removed since 2022. In fact, of the seven leaders appointed to the powerful commission just a few years ago, only four remain. This level of turnover at the top is something that hasn’t been seen in decades.
This follows the removal of other top figures, including two former defence ministers, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, and the sudden disappearance of the foreign minister, Qin Gang, in 2023. Ironically, one of the newly fired generals, Wang Houbin, was himself a replacement for another group of Rocket Force commanders who were purged earlier.
Why the timing of the announcement matters
The timing of this announcement is no coincidence. It comes just before a key meeting of the Communist Party, called the plenary session, scheduled from October 20th to 23rd. At this meeting, top leaders will discuss the country’s new five-year plan and major economic challenges. By making such a bold move now, Xi Jinping is sending a powerful message of strength and control.
A military spokesman said the investigation was a significant achievement that shows there is no place for corrupt officials to hide within the military. However, analysts like Neil Thomas from the Asia Society Policy Institute suggest there’s a downside. While the purges might make the system more obedient, they also create a climate of fear, making officials more cautious and at times, more brittle.
Everyone is now watching to see who actually shows up at the big party meeting. Low attendance would be the clearest signal yet of just how deep this political purge really goes.
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