In a recent announcement made during a meeting of the Chinese Communist Party’s Political Bureau on April 30th, it was revealed that the long-awaited 20th Third Plenary Session will be postponed to July. Simultaneously, Cheng Fubo took office as the new Chairman of the China Ordnance Industry Group, while the whereabouts of the former Chairman, Liu Shiquan, remains unknown. There have been significant personnel changes in several military-industrial enterprises recently implicated in the missile army case.
According to a statement released by the China Ordnance Industry Group’s official public account on April 30th, Cheng Fubo was appointed as the Chairman and Party Secretary of China Ordnance Industry Group Co., Ltd. during a senior management meeting. However, the statement did not address the dismissal of former Chairman Liu Shiquan or his current status.
Cheng Fubo, born in September 1970 in Bishan, Chongqing, has held various positions in the aerospace industry and government, including roles at Chengdu Aircraft Industrial Group and China Commercial Aircraft Company. His recent assumption of the Chairman position at China Ordnance Industry Group coincides with a series of dismissals and investigations involving top officials in China’s military-industrial complex.
In a recent report, the Chinese National People’s Congress officially announced on April 26th that Han Shuwang has been relieved of his duties as a national congress delegate due to “serious violations of discipline and law.” Han Shuwang, a former deputy director of a rocket research institute and former chairman of a space investment holding company, is allegedly linked to the missile army case.
The past few months have seen a wave of incidents involving top officials in the Chinese Communist Party’s military-industrial complex. Various figures, including senior leaders like Wu Yansheng of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation and Wang Changqing of China North Industries Group Corporation, have been removed from their positions or have disappeared from public view amidst corruption investigations.
On April 19th, during an interview with The Epoch Times, Chen Pokong suggested that the cases involving senior military-industrial officials are not simply about corruption but also relate to potential espionage activities. He claimed that sensitive military information may have been leaked to Western countries, leading to secretive investigations and purges within the military establishment.
Since the 20th Communist Party Congress, the Rocket Force has been a focal point of scrutiny and clean-up efforts. Several high-ranking officials with ties to the Rocket Force have been removed or investigated, signaling a broader effort by the party leadership to tighten control over the military sector. The recent personnel appointments in key military-industrial enterprises may signal the conclusion of the missile army case investigations and the impending disciplinary actions at the upcoming Third Plenary Session.
Overseas analysts and commentators have raised concerns about President Xi Jinping’s consolidation of power within the military, which they describe as an attempt to create a more loyal and compliant military force under his personal command. The ongoing investigations and crackdowns within the military are seen as part of Xi’s broader strategy to ensure absolute authority and loyalty among senior military officials.