In the past three years, internal conflicts and purges within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) military have been escalating, resulting in the downfall of many military leaders and a shortage of capable replacements. Xi Jinping’s style of military governance, known as “general-led military,” has led to most of the commanders and political commissars in major war zones and branches of the military being represented by lieutenant generals. However, it appears that even acting commanders are absent in the Western Theater Command, and the previous Land Forces Political Commissar in the Eastern Theater Command has been replaced with their whereabouts unknown.
On September 30, 2026, a Martyrs’ Day commemoration ceremony was held in Sichuan Province, where Lieutenant General Zhang Shaoying, Deputy Political Commissar and Director of the Political Work Department of the Western Theater Command, attended the event.
According to a post by the account “China Personnel Observers” which tracks CCP personnel changes, the fact that Zhang Shaoying attended the ceremony instead of the commander indicates a concerning situation in the Western Theater Command where there is not even an acting commander in place. The post also mentioned that the prolonged absence of an acting commander in such a strategically significant region could disrupt the normal operations of the theater command.
Public records show that in August 2021, Wang Haijiang assumed the position of Commander of the Western Theater Command. Wang Haijiang, a 63-year-old native of Anyue, Sichuan, was promoted to the rank of general in September 2021. In July 2022, Wang Haijiang accompanied Xi Jinping on an inspection of the Xinjiang Military Region as the Commander of the Western Theater Command.
In February of this year, both Commander Wang Haijiang and Political Commissar Li Fengbiao of the Western Theater Command were absent from the annual Sichuan military local government Spring Festival symposium, with Lieutenant General Zhang Shaoying and Lieutenant General Wen Junfei, Deputy Commanders, attending instead.
As a member of the 20th Central Committee, Wang Haijiang’s absence from the Fourth Plenary Session last year has led to speculation of his removal. Li Fengbiao, aged 67, missed the symposium due to retirement, but his current situation remains unknown.
On September 30, 2026, a Martyrs’ Day commemoration ceremony was held in Fujian Province, where Zhu Jun, Beijing Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee member and Political Commissar of the Beijing Garrison District, was in attendance.
According to a post by “China Personnel Observers,” Zhu Jun has likely been promoted to the rank of lieutenant general and has transferred to the position of Land Forces Political Commissar in the Eastern Theater Command.
The post also noted that traditionally, the Martyrs’ Day event in Fujian should have been attended by the leaders of the stationed units in the province. In 2024, the event was attended by then Land Forces Political Commissar of the Eastern Theater Command, Lieutenant General Tang Xinghua. In 2025, there was no lieutenant general present at the ceremony with Tang Xinghua being absent. By 2026, Tang Xinghua had been replaced as the Land Forces Political Commissar in the Eastern Theater Command, and his whereabouts were unknown.
Public records show that Tang Xinghua, a native of Xifeng, Liaoning, previously served as the Director of the Organization Department of the Shenyang Military Region. In July 2015, he became the Director of the Political Department of the 16th Group Army. He later served as the Director of the Political Work Department of the 82nd Group Army and the Political Commissar of the 83rd Group Army. On October 1, 2019, during the 70th Anniversary National Day military parade, Tang Xinghua and Lin Xiangyang led the troops of the Land Forces in the inspection. In March 2022, Tang Xinghua was promoted to Deputy Political Commissar of the Eastern Theater Command and Political Commissar of the Land Forces in the theater command.
Of note is the fall from grace of the former Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, Zhang Yuxia, who served as the Commander of the Shenyang Military Region from September 2007 to October 2012, with Tang Xinghua being a former subordinate of Zhang Yuxia.
On September 30, 2026, a Martyrs’ Day commemoration ceremony was held in Jiangsu Province, where General Yang Zhibin, Commander of the Eastern Theater Command, and Lieutenant General Zhang Jichun, Deputy Political Commissar and Director of the Political Work Department of the Eastern Theater Command, were present.
The CCP military promoted General Yang Zhibin to the rank of general on December 22, 2025, but Lieutenant General Zhang Jichun, who concurrently acted as the acting Political Commissar of the Eastern Theater Command, did not receive a promotion.
Amidst over three years of internal strife within the CCP military, as of the end of August 2026, a total of 46 senior CCP military officials have been publicly removed from their positions as the delegates of the 14th National People’s Congress. Among them are 22 generals, 18 lieutenant generals, and 6 major generals, spanning various departments of the Military Commission, branches of the military, and theater commands. Some officials who were not delegates of the National People’s Congress or members of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference have disappeared without official announcements following their removal.
Currently, some key positions that were previously held by generals are now filled by lieutenant generals on an acting basis. Some have transitioned to permanent roles but have not been promoted to the rank of general.
Previously, some lieutenant generals who briefly acted as commanders were subsequently removed from their positions. For example, Lieutenant General Cao Junzhang, who reportedly met with an accident, had been acting as the Commander of the People’s Armed Police Force in July 2025. Lieutenant General Li Zhonglin, who briefly served as the acting commander of the Army, also faced a similar fate. At the commissioning ceremony of the Fujian Aircraft Carrier on November 2025, Lieutenant General Cui Yuzhong, acting as the Navy Commander, and Lieutenant General Leng Shaojie, acting as the Navy Political Commissar, were in attendance. However, at the Anti-Corruption Planning Meeting held on Jan 12 this year, Lieutenant General Leng Shaojie, a member of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, was absent, indicating his fall from grace as well.
Veteran military commentator Mark told Epoch Times that Xi Jinping’s overhaul of the military commission for the upcoming 21st National Congress requires the elevation of a new batch of officials. However, the deep impact of Xi Jinping’s cleansing campaign has disrupted the trust within the military. “He (Xi) does not have a prestigious military leader who can stabilize the army, and officers may act insincerely, harboring anti-war sentiments, which could lead to passive resistance in times of conflict.”