Nearly Half of the Generals Were Absent From the Plenary Session of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Shocking Observers

Clouds loom over Tiananmen Square in Beijing. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

[People News] The fifth plenary session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China took place on January 12 in Beijing. Out of the 22 military members expected to attend, only 12 were present, with 10 generals absent, leading to an absence rate nearing 50%. This significant absence rate is comparable to that following a major and intense conflict, raising concerns among external observers.

Media reports indicate that the absent generals represent various branches, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Armed Police. Notable absentees include Chen Guoqiang, political commissar of the National Defence University, Yang Xiaoxiang, former deputy political commissar of the Academy of Military Sciences, Leng Shaojie, deputy political commissar of the Navy, Cheng Dongfang, former deputy political commissar of the Navy, and four political figures from the Central Theatre Command and Armed Police system. Additionally, two major generals from the Military Commission were also absent.

The primary reasons for the absence of these generals are linked to corruption or political disloyalty, as they are currently under investigation. For instance, Sun Bin, the auditor general of the Military Commission's Audit Office, was announced last November by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress to have been removed from his position as a national representative due to 'suspected serious violations of discipline and law.' Furthermore, Chen Guoqiang, a standing member of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, has held significant roles in military discipline inspection for an extended period, previously serving as the full-time deputy secretary of the Military Discipline Inspection Commission and deputy director of the Military Commission's Supervisory Commission, and is seen as a key figure in the military's 'anti-corruption' initiatives. In 2024, Chen Guoqiang's unexpected reassignment to the political commissar of the National Defence University has been interpreted by some as a manoeuvre by the 'anti-Xi faction,' and his absence from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection plenary session has once again drawn public scrutiny.

The recent absence of several generals is notable, as many of them have work histories that closely align with Miao Hua, the former director of the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission. During Miao Hua's time in office, several of these generals were promoted or appointed to significant roles. However, Miao Hua, along with nine other generals, including He Weidong, the vice chairman of the Military Commission, was implicated in serious job-related crimes last year and subsequently expelled from both the Party and the military. This raises questions about whether their absence indicates an ongoing purge of related factions within the Communist Party of China, which has sparked international discussion.

Prior to the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Central Military Commission confirmed that He Weidong (left), Miao Hua (right), He Hongjun, Wang Xiubin, Lin Xiangyang, Qin Shutong, Yuan Huazhi, Wang Chunning, Zhang Fengzhong, and others had violated Party discipline and laws, resulting in their expulsion from both the Party and the military.

Former Chinese media figure Zhao Lanjian disclosed that on April 17, 2025, the Central Military Commission conveyed a confidential internal document to all military officers above the rank of major general (including retirees) in a manner described as 'reading documents or having Military Commission leaders read them.' The document accused Miao Hua and He Weidong of engaging in factionalism and forming political cliques, attempting to influence the personnel arrangements for the 21st National Congress of the military. They were labelled as 'great traitors disguised as loyalists, with crimes unforgivable,' and investigations were launched against Miao, He, and their faction members. The document was two pages long, with Miao Hua occupying one and a half pages, and its tone was extremely harsh, featuring unprecedented language.

Zhao Lanjian stated that the report regarding the 'factional politics' case involving Miao Hua and He Weidong was circulated throughout the military, marking the onset of the most severe purge in the armed forces.

Many observers online believe that the ongoing issues faced by Xi Jinping's military allies suggest that he has lost control over the military, while Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia currently wields actual military power and has initiated a purge against Xi's faction.

In this extensive purge, the Rocket Force, which was established just 11 years ago, has been entirely dismantled. There have been four commanders of the Rocket Force, with the first three—Li Yuchao, Zhou Yaning, and Wei Fenghe—having all been arrested. Additionally, over half of the deputy commanders have been detained, along with several senior generals who are now under investigation. The repercussions have even extended to experts and suppliers linked to the Rocket Force. After being out of the public eye for several months, Defence Minister Li Shangfu was officially dismissed from his roles as State Councillor and Defence Minister in October 2023, with issues traced back to the Equipment Development Department he managed, which is connected to the corruption scandal within the Rocket Force.

As we enter 2024 and 2025, the military purge is intensifying. For example, in mid-October last year, it was announced that nine generals were under investigation, involving the highest leadership body, the Central Military Commission, with nearly all branches of the military having individuals implicated. The list includes He Weidong, a member of the Central Political Bureau and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission; Miao Hua, a member of the Central Military Commission and former Director of the Political Work Department; He Hongjun, former Executive Deputy Director of the Political Work Department; Wang Xiubin, former Executive Deputy Director of the Joint Operations Command Center; Lin Xiangyang, former Commander of the Eastern Theater Command; Qin Shutang, former Political Commissar of the Army; Yuan Huazhi, former Political Commissar of the Navy; Wang Houbin, former Commander of the Rocket Force; and Wang Chunning, former Commander of the Armed Police Force.

X user "杜文 WenDu" highlighted that the Rocket Force of the People's Liberation Army was officially established in 2015, and since then, four senior officers have held the position of commander: Wei Fenghe, Zhou Yaning, Li Yuchao, and Wang Houbin. However, recent purges by the authorities in Zhongnanhai have led to the downfall of these four commanders, and even 74 evaluation experts associated with the Rocket Force and 116 collaborating suppliers have faced penalties.

According to "杜文 WenDu", prior to the purges, the Rocket Force was already grappling with significant issues, including subpar equipment, usability challenges, lack of reliability, and an inability to generate combat effectiveness, which brought it to the brink of paralysis. The subsequent wave of purges has nearly obliterated the Rocket Force, leaving it unable to recover. "杜文 WenDu" also expressed that the situation of the Chinese Rocket Force is exceptionally rare in both political and military history, remarking, "Chairman Xi is doing an excellent job, far more formidable than the Japanese who invaded China in the past."

In addition, X user "Daniel Fang" tweeted that Zhu Hongda, who served as the head of logistics for the Chinese Air Force from 2009 to 2016, has recently been sentenced to life imprisonment by the court, marking him as the latest high-ranking PLA official to be ousted. Alarmingly, during his trial, Zhu Hongda claimed that he had nearly slept with all the female staff in the Air Force's logistics department, which has ignited public outrage.

Following a significant backlash in public opinion, Zhu Hongda clarified during the second trial, stressing that he had only slept with 'certain types of' female employees. However, these comments only fueled further public outrage, with some asserting that female employees who had not been 'slept with' by Zhu Hongda felt as though they had been slapped in the face. Additionally, some netizens wryly noted that Zhu Hongda's remarks offended all female staff in the Air Force Logistics Department.

It has been demonstrated that as long as the Chinese Communist Party remains in power, anti-corruption will continue to be the central theme for all levels of government under the Party.

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