China removes nine military officials ahead of annual political meeting

China’s top legislative body has removed nine military representatives from its roster of deputies ahead of next week’s major annual political gathering in Beijing, according to state-run news agency Xinhua.

The National People’s Congress (NPC) on Thursday revised its list of delegates from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the People’s Armed Police, cutting the total number of military deputies to 243.

Those dismissed include five full generals, one lieutenant general and three major generals. The five full generals are Li Wei, political commissar of the information support force; Li Qiaoming, commander of the ground forces; former navy chief Shen Jinlong; former navy political commissar Qin Shengxiang; and former air force political commissar Yu Zhongfu.

Lieutenant general Wang Donghai, political commissar of the National Defence Mobilisation Department under the Central Military Commission, was also removed. The three major generals taken off the list are Bian Ruifeng of the Central Military Commission, Ding Laifu of the ground forces and Yang Guang of the rocket force.

The removals come amid an expanding anti-corruption campaign within China’s military ranks. Analysts say the sweeping crackdown has created notable gaps in the command chain of the rapidly modernising armed forces.

The London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) warned in its annual Military Balance report that the ongoing purges have affected key institutions, including the supreme Central Military Commission, theatre commands, weapons procurement systems and defence academic bodies.

“From an organisational perspective, until the vacancies are filled, the PLA is operating with serious deficiencies in its command structure,” the IISS said in its latest assessment.

Xi made a rare public reference to the crackdown in a virtual address to China’s armed forces earlier this month.

The IISS report noted that rises in Chinese military spending were consistently outpacing the rest of Asia amid a global surge in defence budgets.

China’s share of the regional total grew to almost 44% in 2025, up from an average of 37% between 2010 and 2020.

With inputs from agencies