Recently, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, were relieved of their duties in the National Central Military Commission by the 14th National People’s Congress Standing Committee meeting in Beijing. They were also removed from their positions as national legislators. Shortly after, their names were also removed from the list of members of the Central Military Commission on various official websites of the Chinese Communist Party. Analysts believe that during the Fifth Plenary Session, the number of Central Committee members who have been expelled from the party could reach as high as around 40, most of whom are from the military, a historical precedent. Xi Jinping’s desire to purge and replace with new figures is seen as likely to bring various negative consequences.
The Central Military Commission of the Chinese Communist Party, and the Central Military Commission of the State are two branches of the same entity. The former’s leadership is appointed and removed by the National People’s Congress (during the NPC’s adjournment by the NPC Standing Committee), while the latter is appointed by the Central Committee. Based on the CCP’s Party Constitution, the Central Politburo exercises the authority of the Central Committee during its closed-door sessions.
According to analysis by Hong Kong media Ming Pao, it is observed that the Politburo meeting has dismissed Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli from their leadership positions in the Central Military Commission, effectively expelling Zhang Youxia from the Politburo as well.
The official Xinhua website’s section on the “20th Central Leadership Structure” indicates that the political bureau, which was originally composed of 24 members, is now reduced to 21 members, with the removal of He Weidong, Ma Xingrui, and Zhang Youxia.
The 20th Central Committee’s Fifth Plenary Session is scheduled to convene in October.
Renowned political commentator Tang Jingyuan previously told Dajiyuan that, similar to the announcement of the crimes and expulsion of party and military membership of 9 individuals before the Fourth Plenary Session, it is expected that before the Fifth Plenary Session, figures like Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli will face similar disciplinary action. The charges against Zhang Youxia will serve as a barometer for the internal political landscape of the CCP, and the party membership expulsion will likely be ratified during the Fifth Plenary Session.
According to Dajiyuan’s previous incomplete list, in the past year, 22 members of the Central Committee (Central Committee members and alternate members) have been officially ousted or stripped of their National People’s Congress representative status. Additionally, there are 23 individuals who have gone “missing,” with the formal dismissal of approximately 40 individuals expected during the Fifth Plenary Session, with a majority being military members.
Among the military members of the Central Committee who have been publicly handled include Generals Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, who were relieved of their military and NPC duties on August 28, as well as Lieutenant General Zhong Shaojun and Major General Ju Qiansheng, who were removed from their NPC roles.
Lieutenant General Zhang Lin, former Minister of Logistics Support for the Central Military Commission, was removed from the National People’s Congress last September but was not addressed during the Fourth Plenary Session. Lieutenant General Wang Peng, former Minister of Training Administration for the Central Military Commission, Major General Wang Renhua, former Secretary of the Political and Legal Committee of the Central Military Commission, and Major General Zhang Hongbing, former political commissar of the Armed Police Force, were all removed from the National People’s Congress last December.
Major General Li Wei, former Political Commissar of the Information Support Force, and Major General Li Qiaoming, former Army Commander, were stripped of their National People’s Congress status in February this year.
Major General Xu Xueqiang, former Minister of Equipment Development for the Central Military Commission, Major General Li Fengbiao, former Political Commissar of the Western Theater Command, and Major General Guo Puxiao, former Political Commissar of the Air Force, were all stripped of their National People’s Congress membership in June.
On June 26th of this year, Major General Wang Kangping, former Commander of the Joint Logistics Support Force and Central Alternate Member, was relieved of his National People’s Congress duties.
The list of missing members of the military Central Committee includes at least 12 Generals, such as former Eastern Theater Command political commissar Liu Qingsong, former Southern Theater Command Commander Wu Yanan, former Southern Theater Command political commissar Wang Wenquan, former Western Theater Command Commander Wang Haijiang, former Northern Theater Command Commander Huang Ming, former Central Theater Command political commissar Xu Deqing, former Navy Commander Hu Zhongming, former Rocket Force political commissar Xu Xisheng, and Lieutenant General Xu Qiling, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, former Central Theater Command Commander Wang Qiang, former Air Force Commander Chang Dingqiu, and former President of the PLA Academy of Military Science Yang Xuejun.
Lieutenant General Zhao Xiaozhe, former Director of the Science and Technology Committee of the Central Military Commission, who is also a Central Committee member, had been in a “missing” status until mid-August this year before he was removed from the list of Chinese Academy of Engineering academicians.
During the Fourth Plenary Session last year, several military Central Alternate Members were overlooked for promotion, among them Major General Fang Yongxiang, former Chief of Staff of the Central Military Commission, Major General Wang Liyan, former Deputy Commander of the Rocket Force, and Major General Shi Zhenglu, former Commander of the Northern Theater Command are still missing.
China affairs expert Li Lin believes that the number of Central Committee members ousted from the party during the Fifth Plenary Session could reach as high as 40, unprecedented in history, with approximately 30 of them being military members.
During the previous Fourth Plenary Session of the CCP, a total of 14 Central Committee and alternate committee members had their party membership revoked. Among the military Central Committee members were former Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission He Weidong, former member of the Central Military Commission and Director of the Political Work Department Miao Hua, former Deputy Director of the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission He Hongjun, former Deputy Director of the Joint Operations Command Center of the Central Military Commission Wang Xiubin, former Commander of the Eastern Theater Command Lin Xiangyang, former Political Commissar of the Army Qin Shutong, former Political Commissar of the Navy Yuan Huazhi, and former Commander of the Armed Police Force Wang Chunning, totaling 8 individuals. Additionally, there was one Central Alternate Member, former Director of the Political Work Department of the Rocket Force Zhang Fengzhong.
In the ongoing thorough cleansing over the past three years, most of the senior military leaders personally appointed by Xi Jinping have encountered setbacks. Currently, the Central Military Commission only consists of Chairman Xi Jinping and Vice Chairman Zhang Shengmin, with the other five members all falling from grace.
A rare phenomenon of “Lieutenant General leading the army” has emerged within the Chinese military, where Commanders and Political Commissars of various theaters and branches are primarily Lieutenant Generals acting in interim capacities.
Renowned military commentator Mark believes that it appears Xi Jinping wants to deal with the backlog of major cases before the Fifth Plenary Session. This way, he can completely restructure the Military Commission during the 21st Congress and promote a new batch of individuals. However, Xi Jinping’s purge has deeply affected the trust system within the military hierarchy. Without a respected military leader to control the military, officers may display insubordination and war-weariness, resulting in soft resistance when faced with conflict.