On October 17, 2025, prior to the convening of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party next Monday, nine senior generals including Central Military Commission Vice Chairman and Politburo member He Weidong have been expelled from the party and the military. Experts suggest that the purge of generals promoted by Xi Jinping may lead to a power struggle within the party, with the possibility of anti-Xi factions using claims of improper personnel appointments as a means to pressure Xi to resign, indicating potential drama at the upcoming plenary session.
The Chinese Ministry of National Defense announced today that He Weidong, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, and former Director of the Political Work Department of the Military Commission Miao Hua, among nine individuals, are suspected of serious disciplinary violations, with “particularly large amounts,” and have been expelled from the party. The Central Military Commission had previously expelled nine individuals from their military positions.
The nine individuals stripped of party and military affiliations include He Weidong, Miao Hua, He Hongjun (Deputy Director of the Political Work Department of the Military Commission), Wang Xiubin (Deputy Director of the Joint Operations Command Center of the Military Commission), Lin Xiangyang (Commander of the Eastern Theater Command), Qin Shutong (Army Political Commissar), Yuan Huazhi (Navy Political Commissar), Wang Houbin (Commander of the Rocket Force), and Wang Chunning (Commander of the Armed Police Force). They are accused of serious violations of Communist Party discipline, suspected of serious crimes, with particularly large amounts involved, and of an extremely serious nature, having a severely adverse impact.
With the exception of Wang Houbin, who was appointed Commander of the Rocket Force in 2023, all other nine generals were members of the 20th Central Committee and will have their appointments confirmed at the upcoming Fourth Plenary Session.
Gong Xiangsheng, Deputy Researcher at the Taiwan Institute for National Defense and Security Studies, stated to Epoch Times that the eight Central Committee members among the expelled generals could potentially be replaced at the plenary session, emphasizing the importance of examining their relationships with Zhang Youxia to assess the extent to which Xi Jinping’s military authority has been compromised, serving as an indicator of shifts in military power dynamics.
These nine individuals are all senior generals personally promoted by Xi Jinping and have been steadily promoted since Xi took office. Many of them, including He Weidong, Miao Hua, and Lin Xiangyang, come from Xi Jinping’s core army units, previously serving in the 31st Group Army stationed in Fujian.
Researcher Shen Mingshi from the Taiwan Institute for National Defense and Security stated to Epoch Times that the expulsion of these generals close to Xi Jinping confirms the earlier reports of their misconduct. This development may lead to two possible outcomes.
Firstly, the anti-Xi or old guard factions may use this incident to question Xi Jinping’s personnel decisions, alleging that he promotes individuals despite their inadequacies, questioning his leadership of the military. This could result in demands for Xi Jinping to step down as Chairman of the Central Military Commission. Shen Mingshi stated, “I believe this is very important, because it’s unlikely that Xi Jinping personally expelled these individuals.”
Shen Mingshi further mentioned that apart from these nine individuals, there are reports implicating figures such as Huang Ming and Wang Haijiang, currently serving as commanders or political commissars in various theater commands. Though not officially announced yet, they are likely to be involved in corruption cases related to Miao Hua. He emphasized, “The expulsion of these nine is already very serious, and is likely to significantly damage Xi Jinping’s credibility.”
He speculated that in the coming days, there could be more revelations of Xi Jinping’s mistakes or responsibilities, potentially leading to pressure for Xi to resign at the plenary session. However, Xi Jinping might not be willing to step down, intensifying the anticipation surrounding the Fourth Plenary Session.
He added, “What is most important now is to understand the circumstances surrounding the violations committed by Miao Hua, He Weidong, and these generals. Even if Xi Jinping himself is not directly implicated, the downfall of all these generals he cultivated indicates his poor judgment in the past. Either the generals he groomed are all corrupt, or Xi Jinping himself must bear indirect responsibility.”
On August 29, 2016, the General Office of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee issued the “Opinions on Preventing the Promotion of Officials ‘with illnesses’,” calling for accountability for such appointments, potentially including the General Secretary of the Central Committee.
In an article by independent commentator Du Zheng published by Taiwan’s “Up Media” on October 4th, it was suggested that those who establish laws could one day be punished by those same laws. When Xi Jinping faces a power crisis, opportunistic individuals may attempt to hold him accountable using these regulations. By setting these rules, Xi Jinping is essentially digging his own pit.
According to public information, the senior generals brought down who were previously appointed and trusted by Xi include former Defense Ministers Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe, the second and third Commanders of the Rocket Force Zhou Yaning and Li Yuchao, former Air Force Commander Ding Laihang, and Armed Police Force Commander Wang Chunling.
Additionally, individuals implicated but not officially disclosed in this purge include Eastern Theater Command Political Commissar Liu Qingsong, Western Theater Command Commander Wang Haijiang, Northern Theater Command Commander Huang Ming, Central Theater Command Commander Wang Qiang, Central Theater Command Political Commissar Xu Deqing, former Army Commander Han Weiguo, former Navy Political Commissar Qin Shengxiang, Military Commission Political and Legal Affairs Commission Secretary Wang Renhua, and Armed Police Force Political Commissar Zhang Hongbing.
Furthermore, those potentially facing early dismissal include Navy Commander Hu Zhongming, Army Commander Li Qiaoming, and Information Support Force Political Commissar Li Wei. Previously, Rocket Force Political Commissar Xu Zhongbo was removed from his post due to ineffective oversight, while Strategic Support Force Commander Ju Gansheng faced a premature removal after the disbandment of the Strategic Support Force’s unit designation.