On the eve of the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, on June 27, former Chinese defense ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu were both expelled from the Party.
The meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on the 27th announced that it was decided to expel Wei Fenghe from the Party and terminate his qualifications as a delegate to the 20th Party Congress. Li Shangfu was also expelled from the Party and his qualifications as a delegate to the 20th Party Congress were terminated.
The report also mentioned that on September 21, 2023, the Disciplinary Inspection Commission of the Military Commission opened an investigation into Wei Fenghe; and on August 31, 2023, the Disciplinary Inspection Commission of the Military Commission investigated Li Shangfu.
Li Shangfu was accused of seriously violating political discipline, failing to fulfill his political responsibilities for strictly governing the Party comprehensively, resisting investigation; illegally seeking personal and others’ benefits in personnel matters; abusing his position for personal gain and accepting huge amounts of money, suspected of bribery; and giving money to others for improper benefits, suspected of corruption.
The report further revealed that the Central Military Commission had previously revoked Li Shangfu’s rank of Army General.
Last October, Li Shangfu, former Minister of National Defense of the Communist Party of China, was removed from his positions as Minister of National Defense, State Councilor, and member of the Central Military Commission. Since the end of August last year, Li Shangfu has not made any public appearances. At this year’s two sessions, the spokesperson for the National People’s Congress session revealed to the media that Li Shangfu is no longer a delegate to the National People’s Congress and cannot attend the sessions.
Since 2023, a large number of high-ranking officials in the Chinese Communist Party’s military and military-industrial complex have been taken down, including two former commanders of the Rocket Force, Li Yuchao and Zhou Yaning, and former Defense Minister Li Shangfu. It was previously reported that Wei Fenghe, the first commander of the Rocket Force, was also under investigation.
On August 31, 2023, when asked about the whereabouts of Wei Fenghe, the former Defense Minister of the Chinese Communist Party, a military spokesperson, Wu Qian, only stated, “We must fight against every corrupt official” and “the fight against corruption is an ongoing process.”
Wei Fenghe became the first commander of the Chinese Communist Party’s Rocket Force at the end of 2015; at the 19th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in October 2017, Wei Fenghe was promoted to a member of the Central Military Commission; at the two sessions in March 2018, Wei Fenghe became a State Councilor and Minister of National Defense. At the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in October 2022, Wei Fenghe stepped down as a member of the Central Military Commission; and resigned as State Councilor and Minister of National Defense in March 2023.