On September 13, the National People’s Congress of the Chinese Communist Party issued an announcement to dismiss several National People’s Congress delegates from their positions, including former Minister of National Defense of the Chinese Communist Party, Li Shangfu, and Deputy Chief of the Army, Deng Zhiping.
According to the announcement, the Standing Committee of Hebei Provincial People’s Congress decided to remove Xu Zuo from the position of the 14th National People’s Congress delegate. The Standing Committee of Guizhou Provincial People’s Congress decided to remove Tian Cheng from the position of the 14th National People’s Congress delegate. The Military Representative Assembly of the Central Military Commission decided to remove Li Shangfu from the position of the 14th National People’s Congress delegate. The Army Representative Assembly decided to remove Deng Zhiping from the position of the 14th National People’s Congress delegate. The Standing Committee of Jiangxi Provincial People’s Congress decided to accept Xu Hong’s resignation from the position of the 14th National People’s Congress delegate.
According to the relevant regulations of the Chinese Communist Party, the delegate qualifications of Xu Zuo, Tian Cheng, Li Shangfu, Deng Zhiping, and Xu Hong have been terminated.
Li Shangfu is a senior general in the Chinese Communist Party’s military.
On March 4, during a press conference of the National People’s Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, spokesperson Lou Qinjian revealed to the media that former Minister of National Defense of the Chinese Communist Party, Li Shangfu, could not attend the Two Sessions as he was no longer a National People’s Congress delegate.
On the afternoon of March 4, the first press conference of the National People’s Congress of the Chinese Communist Party was held. After the press conference, when asked by the media whether Li Shangfu had attended the Two Sessions, spokesperson Lou Qinjian responded that he could not attend because he was no longer a National People’s Congress delegate.
However, at that time, the official Chinese Communist Party had not announced the dismissal of Li Shangfu as a National People’s Congress delegate, nor had they announced his resignation. Li Shangfu’s name still appeared on the official website of the National People’s Congress of the Chinese Communist Party.
In August 2023, Li Shangfu was placed under investigation for serious violations of discipline and law. In October of the same year, he was dismissed from his leadership position. In June 2024, Li Shangfu was expelled from the party, transferred to the judiciary, and stripped of his military rank as a senior general in the Army.
Deng Zhiping, 60, is a lieutenant general and Deputy Chief of the Army. The reasons for Deng Zhiping’s dismissal as a National People’s Congress delegate are currently unclear. In July, there were rumors of Deng Zhiping’s arrest, but this has not been confirmed by official sources.
Deng Zhiping, a native of Jiangxi, was born in Emei Mountain, Sichuan. In September 2012, he was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff of the 14th Group Army of the Army. In September 2014, he was promoted to Deputy Chief of Staff of the Group Army.
After the military parade in Tiananmen Square in September 2015, Deng was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff of the Chengdu Military Region. In January 2016, he was reassigned as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Western Theater Command. In March 2021, he became the Deputy Commander of the Army.