China’s top legislative body has removed nine military officials ahead of its annual political meeting next week. The National People’s Congress (NPC) updated its roster of deputies from the military delegation on Thursday, cutting the number of representatives from the People’s Liberation Army and the People’s Armed Police to 243.
Left out of the 14th NPC were Ground Force commander Li Qiaoming, Information Support Force political commissar Li Wei, and seven other officials including Ding Laifu of the army, Bian Ruifeng and Wang Donghai of the Central Military Commission, Shen Jinlong and Qin Shengxiang of the navy, Yu Zhongfu of the air force, and Yang Guang of the rocket force, according to state news agency Xinhua. No official reason was given for the decision.
The move comes as Beijing prepares for the annual “two sessions” – the NPC and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference – which begin on 4 March. The meetings will set the national policy agenda, including plans related to the military, economy, trade and diplomacy.
The dismissals are part of a sweeping military purge undertaken by President Xi Jinping, seen as the most extensive shake-up of the armed forces in roughly half a century. Xi launched an anti-corruption campaign in the military in 2023, calling corruption “the biggest threat” to the Communist Party, though critics claim the campaign is also used to purge political rivals. The crackdown has removed two dozen senior figures, including a former defence minister and two vice military chiefs, and reduced the seven-man Central Military Commission to just Xi and one vice chairman.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a UK-based security think tank, reported this week that the purges have left serious deficiencies in the Chinese military’s command structure, likely hampering readiness. The IISS stated: “From an organisational perspective, until the vacancies are filled, the PLA is operating with serious deficiencies in its command structure.” The purges are expected to continue across various military institutions.
