On the eve of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) meetings, it was reported that only 5 senior generals attended the establishment ceremony of the military delegation, while 13 senior generals who are also NPC delegates were absent. Over the past three years, internal disputes and purges within the Chinese military have been escalating, resulting in the public dismissal of 36 senior Communist Party leaders who held positions as NPC delegates, including 16 senior generals, 14 lieutenant generals, and 6 major generals.
According to official reports, the Chinese military and armed police delegation was established on March 3, 2026, with Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Zhang Shengmin appointed as the head of the delegation without any deputy head for the first time.
Traditionally, the military and armed police delegation is led by two vice chairmen of the Central Military Commission. From 2023 to 2025, the delegation was led by Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia and Deputy Minister He Weidong. However, He Weidong was removed from his position in October 2025, and Zhang Youxia fell from grace on January 24, 2026. Vice Chairman Zhang Shengmin, who was promoted to Vice Chairman in October 2025, now serves as the head of the delegation.
Footage from China Central Television (CCTV) showed that 5 senior generals who are also NPC delegates attended the establishment ceremony of the military and armed police delegation, including Zhang Shengmin, Defense Minister Dong Jun, Eastern Theater Commander Yang Zhibin, Central Theater Commander Han Shengyan, and former Northern Theater Political Commissar Fan Xiaojun. Fan Xiaojun is a retired senior general, while Yang Zhibin and Han Shengyan were promoted to senior generals only in December 2025.
For the first time, the military and armed police delegation establishment ceremony on March 3, 2025, was attended by 26 senior generals who are NPC delegates.
According to the latest update on the official website of the National People’s Congress of the Communist Party of China, there are currently 243 military NPC delegates, including Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, who have been officially removed from their positions.
Among the 243 military NPC delegates are Zhang Shengmin, Dong Jun, Han Shengyan, Yang Zhibin, Fan Xiaojun, Wang Jianwu, Ju Qiansheng, An Zhaoqing, Xu Xueqiang, Li Fengbiao, Xiao Tianliang, He Ping, Zheng Weiping, Yuan Yubai, Xu Zhongbo, Ling Huanxin, Guo Puxiao, and Chang Dingqiu, all of whom are senior generals.
Aside from the 5 senior generals mentioned above, 13 senior generals were absent from the establishment ceremony of the military delegation on March 3, 2026.
After the conclusion of the 7th session of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on February 26, 2026, 7 members of the Standing Committee were notably absent, including 3 senior generals: He Ping, Zheng Weiping, and An Zhaoqing.
Following the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Rocket Force case and the Equipment Development Department case were exposed in July 2023, leading to the investigation of several Rocket Force commanders. By the end of 2024, CPC Military Commission member Miao Hua faced troubles, and in 2025, Vice Chairman of the Military Commission He Weidong, along with several naval commanders associated with Miao Hua, were investigated. Subsequently in January 2026, Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia and member of the Military Commission Liu Zhenli were both officially dismissed. The 31st Group Army is a key force of the CCP, with He Weidong and Miao Hua being close associates of Xi Jinping.
Prior to the NPC and CPPCC meetings, the 21st session of the 14th NPC Standing Committee concluded on February 26, 2026. Following the meeting, 19 NPC delegates, including 9 military representatives, had their qualifications terminated.
Since the 19th National Congress, a total of 281 NPC delegates were selected from the Chinese military and armed police forces. Among them, there were roughly 30 senior generals.
To date, 36 senior leaders who held positions as NPC delegates have been publicly dismissed, including 16 senior generals such as Vice Chairman of the Military Commission He Weidong, CPC Military Commission member and Director of the Political Work Department Miao Hua, Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu, Rocket Force Commander Li Yuchao, former Rocket Force Commander Zhou Yaning, former Air Force Commander Ding Laihang, Armed Police Commander Wang Chunling, Navy Political Commissar Yuan Huazhi, Deputy Director of the Political Work Department of the Military Commission He Hongjun, Secretary of the Political and Legal Committee of the Military Commission Wang Renhua, Armed Police Political Commissar Zhang Hongbing, former Navy Commander Shen Jinlong, former Navy Political Commissar Qin Shengxiang, former Air Force Political Commissar Yu Zhongfu, former Army Commander Li Qiaoming, and former Political Commissar of the Information Support Force Li We.
Additionally, 14 brigadier generals had their NPC delegate positions terminated, including Deputy Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff Department of the Military Commission Zhang Zhenzhong, former Deputy Minister of the Equipment Development Department of the Military Commission Zhang Yulin, Deputy Commander of the Southern Theater and Navy Commander of the Southern Theater Ju Xinchun, Deputy Rocket Force Commander Li Chuanguang, former Deputy Commander of the Central Theater Li Zhizhong, former Deputy Commander of the Army Deng Zhiping, former Deputy Commander of the Southern Theater and Navy Commander of the Southern Theater Li Pengcheng, former Deputy Commander of the Army You Haitao, Minister of Logistics Support Department of the Military Commission Zhang Lin, Political Commissar of the Joint Logistics Support Force Gao Daguang, Director of the Training Management Department of the Military Commission Wang Peng, Navy Chief of Staff Li Hanjun, Rocket Force Discipline Committee Secretary Wang Zhibin, and Political Commissar of the National Defense Mobilization Department of the Military Commission Wang Donghai.
Finally, 6 junior generals were also dismissed from their NPC delegate positions, including Minister of the Rocket Force Equipment Department Lv Hong, Deputy Minister of the Equipment Development Department of the Military Commission Rao Wenmin, Chief Auditor of the Audit Office of the Military Commission Sun Bin, Assistant Director of the Political Work Department of the Military Commission Bian Ruifeng, Commander of the 73rd Group Army (formerly the 31st Group Army) Ding Laifu, and Commander of the 64th Base of the Rocket Force Yang Guang.