China is going through the motions of yet another purge in the top echelons of power and this time the removal of key leaders – both in the military and political hierarchy – is on an unprecedented scale. For four days, from 20 to 23 October around 315 of the highest-ranking Chinese Communist Party (CCP) cadres met in western Beijing to discuss the country’s next five-year plan. The talks centred around China’s technological self-sufficiency in the face of American restrictions, modernising its military and supporting domestic consumption to stabilise the economy. However, what eclipsed the whole exercise is the number of figures of the top leadership absent from the proceedings. Nearly 16 per cent of the 376 members and deputies of the CCP Central Committee, who were appointed in 2022, when the party was already under President Xi Jinping’s absolute control, were missing. Two reasons can be attributed to the conspicuous absence – health issues or purges. The first can be ruled out since none of these leaders were reported to be sick. The second reason seems more likely considering the all-powerful Jinping rose to the pinnacle of power in 2012 by virtue of his anti-corruption drive that has already seen many heads roll under his rule.
This time the CCP Central Committee replaced 11 members at the key meeting in Beijing in the midst of an ongoing military purge. Most prominent among them was the Vice Chair of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC) He Weidong, who was thought to have been a close military confidante of Xi. Both men served in Fujian province in the 1990s. Weidong had also been part of the 24-member politburo. Veteran general Zhang Shengmin, 67, is now promoted to replace Weidong, who was expelled from the party on corruption charges. It is a sign of a major crisis of loyalty as Weidong is the first sitting general on the military commission to be removed since the 1966-1976 Cultural Revolution. Apart from him, eight other People’s Liberation Army (PLA) generals were also ousted, according to an official statement from the party. It was released on the last day of the fourth plenum, a key closed-door meeting of the 300-plus member body.
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Since coming to power, Xi has spearheaded a sweeping anti-corruption campaign within the party and government. Over the course of his first five-year term, he replaced a record 19 Central Committee members. He has now chosen Zhang as his most trustworthy lieutenant after having promoted him to the CMC in 2017 when he also became a full general. He is currently head of the CMC Commission for Discipline Inspection, overseeing PLA anti-corruption efforts. He concurrently serves as deputy secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, China’s top anti-corruption body, wielding an unusually high degree of power for a military officer within the civilian Communist Party system. This shows the degree of confidence he enjoys with Xi.
By removing all these officers, Xi is sending a loud and clear message to the military high command that he would not spare even his most loyal generals if they are found to be corrupt. The nine expelled generals were suspected of serious financial crimes, China’s defence ministry said. Their removal marked one of the Chinese Communist Party’s largest crackdowns on the military in decades. For months, the Central Military Commission had given enough indications that it would conduct a crackdown. In July, it issued new guidelines calling for the elimination of “toxic influence” in the military and listing out “iron rules” for cadres. Compared to these purges, the removal of former Defence Ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangful in recent years appears rather light weight.
It appears Xi carefully choreographed the purge coinciding it with the Central Committee’s approval of a new five-year-plan – a broad document to guide its priorities- to deal with the global economic crisis after US President Donald Trump’s tariff war. The plan emphasised “scientific and technological self-reliance,” something Chinese tech companies will need if the Trump administration continues to restrict access to computer chips and advanced software. It also underscores the need for accelerating the green transition and modernising defence, apart from boosting domestic consumption to make up for lost export revenue and disconcertingly growing unemployment in China.
The twin exercise appears to have been prompted by Xi’s anxiety to retain absolute control over the party and military apparatus and allay fears of the Chinese population that the country’s economy may not be able to withstand the new challenges posed by Trump’s trade policies. At one point of time last year there was speculation that Xi might face a revolt from within. The latest purge indicates he has been able to consolidate his position within his party and the country.
