Following the downfall of Li Shangfu, another member of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Military Commission, Miao Hua, has been removed from office, leaving the commission with incomplete membership. Recently, Xi Jinping appeared alongside the remaining four members of the commission, accused of intentionally creating a false sense of military order and failing to dispel rumors effectively.
According to reports from the Chinese state media, Xi Jinping, the CCP leader and Chairman of the Military Commission, emphasized during his inspection of the newly established Information Support Force on December 4th the importance of “the absolute leadership of the Party over the military,” strict governance, anti-corruption measures, and ensuring the military’s loyalty, purity, and reliability to maintain “security and stability” within the forces.
In attendance with Xi were Vice-Chairmen of the Military Commission Zhang Youxia and He Weidong, as well as members of the commission Liu Zhenli and Zhang Shengmin.
This indicates that after the removal of Li Shangfu and Miao Hua, the remaining five members of the Military Commission made a joint appearance. However, Miao Hua has been “under investigation” and has not been relieved of his positions as a member of the Commission and Director of the Political Work Department.
Reports from Taiwan’s Central News Agency indicate that the public appearance of members of the Central Military Commission aims to “dispel external speculation.”
Political commentator Zhong Yuan wrote for Epoch Times, stating that Xi Jinping inspected the newly formed Information Support Force with all Military Commission members present except for Miao Hua. This could be seen as an attempt to purposely dispel rumors and show that the higher echelons of the Chinese military are not in disarray. However, the inspection reportedly only involved taking photos and listening to briefings. Xi Jinping did not mention the principle of “the Chairman of the Military Commission having ultimate responsibility” and avoided discussing “political training” or “political military construction.” The tension and solemn faces during the event indicated that the inspection seemed more like a formality and did not effectively dispel rumors.
Previously, the official website of the Chinese Ministry of National Defense disclosed that Minister of National Defense Dong Jun met with the delegation heads of African countries attending the second “Guinea Gulf Security Situation Seminar” in Shanghai, which was seen as having elements of dispelling rumors.
The Financial Times of the UK reported on November 27th that Dong Jun was under investigation. The spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense denied the issue during a routine press conference the following day, announcing the removal of Miao Hua from office, sparking immediate discussions.
Since last year, the Chinese military has undergone a comprehensive anti-corruption campaign, leading to the downfall of several senior officials, including Rocket Force Commander Li Yuchao, as well as a group of high-ranking military industry executives, and two Defense Ministers – Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu – before Miao Hua’s removal.
Recent overseas media reports continue to speculate about the possible investigation of other senior Chinese military leaders, including Rocket Force Commander Wang Houbin and Eastern Theater Commander Lin Xiangyang.
Independent commentator Du Zheng wrote for Taiwan’s Up Media recently, expressing that following the downfall of Li Shangfu, the removal of the second prominent figure Miao Hua from the Military Commission has had a significant negative impact on Xi. Previously, when Li Shangfu faced issues, Xi could blame others for improper recommendations because Li was not a close trusted associate from his early years. However, Miao Hua’s close relationship with Xi leaves the leader unable to distance himself from the leadership responsibilities, thus greatly impacting Xi’s authority within the military. The slogan of the military being “listening to Chairman Xi’s commands, being responsible to Chairman Xi, and reassuring Chairman Xi” may become empty rhetoric.
The article also mentions that during Miao Hua’s seven years as the Director of the Political Work Department of the Military Commission, middle-ranking officers had to curry favor with him through bribery at various levels. Many serving officers were essentially “online shopping” for promotions by paying bribes. With Miao Hua’s removal, there will certainly be a significant clean-up within the political work system, resulting in delays in the “delivery period.” Those officers who paid for promotions, most of whom have not yet secured their desired positions, essentially wasted their money, leading to resentment and far-reaching consequences. In the future, if Xi Jinping were to wage war against Taiwan, these middle-ranking officers may turn against him, causing chaos on the battlefield.