China Expels Top Military Rank Officials Over Corruption Allegations

China Expels Top Military Rank Officials Over Corruption Allegations

In October 2025, China intensified its decade-long anti-corruption campaign by expelling nine senior military officials, including members of the Politburo, the Central Military Commission (CMC) and commanders of major PLA theatre forces. The expulsions reflect President Xi Jinping’s ongoing effort to assert ideological and political control over the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), which operates under the authority of the Communist Party rather than the state.

Among the expelled leaders, He Weidong, the Vice Chairman of the CMC and the second-highest ranking PLA officer, stood out. Once trusted for Taiwan-related military strategy and known for his past association with Xi in Fujian, his removal for “serious violations of discipline and law” signals a deeper shake-up within the highest echelons of the PLA. Other prominent figures include Admiral Miao Hua, former Navy political chief; General He Hongjun, senior CMC political official; General Qin Shutong, former Political Commissar of the PLA Ground Force; General Wang Chunning, commander of the armed police; and Wang Xiubin, Lin Xiangyang, and Yuan Huazhi, all high-ranking theatre or naval leaders.

The broader anti-corruption campaign, launched in 2012 and sharply intensified since 2023, has already brought down former defence ministers Li Shangfu, Wei Fenghe, and many officials linked to nuclear, missile and naval procurement systems. The allegations involve bribery, embezzlement and misconduct that undermine PLA modernisation and morale.