China's annual Two Sessions political gatherings begin this week with a cloud of military upheaval hanging over proceedings. The standing committee of the country's top political advisory body has voted to remove three generals from its ranks, following a decision last week by the National People's Congress (NPC) to strip nine generals of their positions. The sweeping purge of the military continues as thousands of delegates gather in Beijing.
The NPC, which starts its session on Thursday, is the more powerful of the two concurrent meetings. It holds the authority to amend the constitution, appoint officials, enact laws and approve the budget. In 2018, it removed presidential term limits, and in 2023 it elected Xi Jinping to a third term. However, in practice the NPC acts as a rubber-stamp parliament, never having voted down an item on its agenda, with real decision-making taking place within the Chinese Communist Party.
The military purge has intensified with Xi placing his top general, Zhang Youxia, under investigation for corruption. A recent study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies found that more than 100 senior officers have been purged or potentially purged since 2022, a tally researchers described as “staggering”. Neil Thomas of the Asia Society thinktank said the purges leave empty seats, underscoring that political loyalty is non-negotiable and even top generals are expendable.
Despite the intrigue, the sessions will feature the annual government work report, which is expected to set a GDP growth target below 5% for the first time. More significantly, this year marks the official launch of the 15th five-year plan, outlining priorities for 2026-2030. Ruby Osman of the Tony Blair Institute said this will be an unusually busy Two Sessions, with a strategy for navigating geopolitical and technological change, and a likely emphasis on innovative capacity to shield China from US pressures.
The five-year plan is expected to focus on industrial self-reliance, particularly in advanced semiconductors, to counter US sanctions and support military goals. Xi has set a 2027 deadline for the military to be capable of an assault on Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory. The plan will therefore prioritise domestic production of key technologies, even if economic growth slows as a result.
