In the just concluded two sessions of the Chinese Communist Party, a large number of senior military leaders were notably absent, including General An Zhaoqing, a member of the National People’s Congress and former Political Commissar of the CCP People’s Armed Police, General Wang Ning, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and former Commander of the People’s Armed Police, and General Zhu Shengling, former Political Commissar of the People’s Armed Police. General Wang Chunning, Commander of the CCP People’s Armed Police, and General Zhang Hongbing, Political Commissar, were ousted in 2025.
These two former Commanders of the People’s Armed Police, Wang Ning and Wang Chunning, and three former Political Commissars, Zhu Shengling, An Zhaoqing, and Zhang Hongbing, worked together for over a decade. Both Wang Ning and Wang Chunning are second-generation Communist Party officials, with connections to former Deputy Chairman of the Military Commission He Weidong and Military Commission member Miao Hua in the Nanjing Military Region. Zhang Hongbing worked under He Weidong in the Western Theater Command and Eastern Theater Command. Zhu Shengling served in the 31st Group Army, Shanghai Garrison, and worked alongside He Weidong.
Five military generals serving as members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference were absent from the meetings held on March 1 to March 2, March 4, and March 7 of 2026. Among them were former Commanders of the People’s Armed Police Wang Ning and Zhao Zongqi, former Political Commissars Wu Shezhou of the Western Theater Command, Zhu Shengling of the Central Theater Command, and Political Commissar Zheng He of the National Defense University.
According to previous statistics by Epoch Times, among the 243 military delegates to the National People’s Congress, 13 generals successively missed the founding meeting of the military delegation on March 3, 2026, and the subsequent assembly on March 7. Among them, An Zhaoqing is a member of the 14th National People’s Congress Standing Committee and Vice Chairman of the National Committee.
An Zhaoqing previously served as a subordinate of Zhang Yuxia in the Shenyang Military Region, Political Commissar of the Equipment Development Department of the Military Commission from January 2017 to March 2019, working with Minister Zhang Yuxia and Li Shangfu. Zhang Yuxia was removed from office as Vice Chairman of the Military Commission in January 2026. Li Shangfu was ousted from the position of Minister of the Military Commission and State Councilor in August 2023.
An Zhaoqing served as Political Commissar of the People’s Armed Police from March 2019 to January 2022, collaborating with Commanders Wang Ning (December 2014 to December 2020) and Wang Chunning (December 2020 to July 2025). An Zhaoqing partnered with Wang Chunning for nearly 14 months.
Commander Wang Chunning of the People’s Armed Police was removed from his position as a National People’s Congress delegate in October 2025, along with Deputy Chairman He Weidong, Military Commission member Miao Hua, and nine other generals before the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CCP.
Political Commissar Zhang Hongbing of the People’s Armed Police was removed from his position as a National People’s Congress delegate on December 27, 2025, along with He Weidong and other generals. The first report on the qualifications of individual representatives issued by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress in 2026 revealed that former Political Commissar Zhang Hongbing and other generals were removed from the National People’s Congress for “suspected serious violations of discipline and law.”
Zhang Hongbing was promoted to Political Commissar of the People’s Armed Police in January 2022, working with Commander Wang Chunning for over three years.
Zhang Hongbing served two years as Political Commissar of the Eastern Theater Command from December 2019 to January 2022. He Weidong served as Commander of the Eastern Theater Command from December 2019 to January 2022. Zhang Hongbing worked under He Weidong in the Eastern Theater Command for two years.
Prior to that, Zhang Hongbing served as Political Commissar of the 76th Group Army in the Western Theater Command from March 2017 to December 2019. He Weidong served as Deputy Commander and Army Commander of the Western Theater Command from May 2016 to December 2019. Zhang Hongbing worked under He Weidong in the Western Theater Command for almost three years.
In April 2020, Wang Chunning was transferred from Commander of the Beijing Garrison to Chief of Staff of the People’s Armed Police and became the subordinate of then-Commander Wang Ning. Eight months later, he succeeded Wang Ning as Commander of the People’s Armed Police.
Both Wang Chunning and Wang Ning are second-generation Communist Party officials and fellow natives of Shandong. Their fathers had long served together in the Nanjing Military Region. They, along with fallen Deputy Chairman of the Military Commission He Weidong, Military Commission member Miao Hua, and other senior generals, rose through the ranks in the original Nanjing Military Region.
Wang Chunning, born in March 1963 in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, is the son of former Major General Wang Yongming, Deputy Political Commissar of the Nanjing Military Region.
Wang Ning, born in 1955 in Nanjing, grew up in a military family in Rongcheng, Shandong. His father served as a Deputy Corps-level officer in the Nanjing Military Region, his father-in-law was the first major general promoted after the establishment of the People’s Republic, and his uncle was General Gui Hui, former Commander of the Nanjing Military Region.
Wang Chunning served as Chief of Staff and Deputy Commander of the 1st Group Army of the Nanjing Military Region, Commander of the 12th Group Army of the Nanjing Military Region, Commander of the Beijing Garrison from August 2016 to April 2020, before his transfer to the People’s Armed Police.
Wang Ning enlisted in the military in 1970 and served for over 20 years in the Nanjing Military Region, participating in the Sino-Vietnamese War. In 1994, he was transferred to the 31st Group Army in Fujian Province and held various positions, including Chief of the Anti-Aircraft Brigade, Deputy Chief of Staff, and Commanding Officer of the 91st Division. During this time, he had extensive interactions with Miao Hua and He Weidong in the 31st Group Army.
In December 2003, Wang Ning was appointed Chief of Staff of the Shanghai Garrison, followed by Commander of the Jiangxi Military Region in November 2006. He returned to the 31st Group Army as Commander in November 2007, serving until December 2010 before becoming Chief of Staff of the Beijing Military Region. During this time, He Weidong served as Chief of Staff of the 31st Group Army and was promoted to Deputy Commander of the 31st Group Army in July 2008.
Xi Jinping, the CCP leader, appointed Wang Ning as Vice Chief of Staff in July 2013 at the age of 57, making him the youngest ever to hold the position. Wang Ning became Commander of the People’s Armed Police in December 2014 until his retirement in December 2020.
In February 2021, Wang Ning was appointed Vice Chair of the National People’s Congress Constitution and Law Committee, and in March 2023, he became a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Vice Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Zhu Shengling, the former Political Commissar of the People’s Armed Police who was absent from the two meetings, was born in November 1957 and is a fellow native of Dongtai, Jiangsu, with He Weidong. His military career also began in the original Nanjing Military Region.
Zhu Shengling enlisted in December 1976 and studied at the Political Department of the Artillery Academy from September 1981 to July 1983. He held various positions within the Nanjing Military Region before pursuing further education and serving in the 12th Group Army. Zhu Shengling worked closely with Wang Ning and He Weidong in the 31st Group Army.
After retiring, Zhu Shengling became a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Vice Chairman of the Cultural, Historical, and Learning Committee in March 2023.