Under the opaque operations of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), confusion in the military resurfaces during a major clean-up. Following the dismissal of Miao Hua as a National People’s Congress representative, the CCP’s Ministry of Defense website removed him from the Central Military Commission list and hid the page, but Miao Hua’s name still appears on a similar list on the CCP government website. Experts suggest that this could be related to internal party factional struggles, with the CCP quietly removing Miao Hua in an attempt to minimize disruptions, leading to the absurd situation that has unfolded.
On May 31, the information updated on the CCP Ministry of Defense’s official website indicated that Miao Hua’s data had been deleted from the Central Military Commission section. This implies that Miao Hua is no longer a member of the Central Military Commission. However, upon further investigation later that day, it was found that only by using the terms “Ministry of Defense + Central Military Commission member” could the webpage listing the senior members of the Military Commission be found, suggesting that the section displaying the members of the commission had been hidden on the website.
Though the Central Military Commission of the CCP and the National Central Military Commission of the CCP are two entities under the same umbrella, collectively known as the Central Military Commission, the appointment and dismissal of its members are confirmed separately by the Party Congress and the People’s Congress.
However, on June 2, it was discovered by journalists that Miao Hua’s name still remains on the list of Central Military Commission members on the CCP government’s official website that had also been hidden.
Public records show that Miao Hua was appointed as a member of the CCP Central Military Commission during the 19th National Congress in October 2017 and was re-elected during the 20th Congress in October 2022. In March 2018, during the “Two Sessions,” Miao Hua was appointed as a member of the National Central Military Commission of the CCP and was re-elected during the “Two Sessions” in March 2023.
In November last year, the CCP announced that Miao Hua was suspected of serious disciplinary violations, leading to his suspension for investigation. This month marks the first disclosure that Miao Hua is also suspected of “violations of law.”
The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress announced on April 30 this year that Miao Hua had been dismissed from his position as a National People’s Congress representative.
Miao Hua has been removed from both the CCP Central Military Commission and the National Central Military Commission lists on the Ministry of Defense’s website, but his official dismissal has yet to be announced. In terms of procedure, this differs slightly from the case of Li Shangfu, the former Minister of National Defense.
After disappearing from public view at the end of August 2023, two months later, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress announced the dismissal of Li Shangfu from his positions as a member of the CCP National Central Military Commission, State Councillor, and Minister of Defense. However, Li Shangfu’s title as a member of the CCP Central Military Commission was still retained at that time.
For some time after that, the CCP Ministry of Defense’s website showed that Li Shangfu was still a member of the CCP Central Military Commission; no official announcements were made regarding Li Shangfu’s investigation or the removal of his position as a member of the CCP Central Military Commission. It was not until late February 2024 that his name was discovered to have been removed from the list of members of the CCP Central Military Commission on the Ministry of Defense’s website. Confirmation of Li Shangfu’s expulsion from the Party and the military did not come until the summer of 2024.
Previously, there was a period of conflicting information from the CCP authorities regarding whether Li Shangfu still held the position of National People’s Congress representative.
Prior to the CCP’s Two Sessions in March 2024, Lou Qinjian, a spokesperson for the National People’s Congress, stated that Li Shangfu was no longer a National People’s Congress representative, yet the National People’s Congress never officially announced that Li Shangfu had been relieved of his representative duties, and his name remained on the list of representatives on the National People’s Congress website. It was not until July 11, 2024, that Li Shangfu was officially removed from his position as a National People’s Congress representative.
Shen Mingshi, a researcher at the Taiwan Institute for National Defense and Security Studies, analyzed to The Epoch Times that the retention of Miao Hua’s name on the CCP government website’s Military Commission list while the Ministry of Defense’s website directly removed his name is somewhat strange. The inconsistency between the two websites may be due to an editorial mistake in implementation or the Ministry of Defense acting first to remove his name upon orders, but the lack of synchronization between the two sites also indicates differing factional struggles within the CCP.
Shen Mingshi remarked that Miao Hua’s removal from the National People’s Congress representative position announced in April suggests that the evidence of his misconduct is very clear, and the subsequent handling will be at the discretion of the Central Military Commission.
Su Ziyun, Director of the Strategy and Resources Department at the Taiwan Institute for National Defense and Security Studies, told The Epoch Times that based on the usual practices of the CCP’s political purges, the first step is the disappearance of an individual while their name remains on official organization websites, indicating an internal review. The second step involves the conclusion of the investigation, leading to the name being removed. The third stage is the sentencing after trial. Currently, it is the second stage, indicating that incidents have been confirmed following the suspension and investigation.
Commenting on the situation, political commentator Chen Pokong, in an interview with The Epoch Times, stated that the final decision on the removal of a member of the CCP Central Military Commission will be made at the Fourth Plenary Session. Changes in the list of members of the National Central Military Commission may occur during the People’s Congress in March next year, so in practice, Miao Hua has not yet been removed. The fact that his name has been removed from the Ministry of Defense’s website indicates that the case has been finalized.
Chen Pokong mentioned that the CCP is trying to minimize disruptions and leaks of information through secretive means. The high number of incidents occurring during Xi Jinping’s tenure has made the regime highly vulnerable. Despite the appearance of stability, challenges have been brewing behind the scenes.
He noted that the rush to remove Miao Hua from the Military Commission list before the completion of formal procedures could indicate that the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Congress of the CCP is imminent, which is likely to bring changes in personnel of the Central Military Commission, with individuals being replaced and promoted.
Recent rumors suggest that the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Congress of the CCP could be convened this fall, potentially leading to a situation unfavorable to Xi Jinping.
Shen Mingshi pointed out that the Fourth Plenary Session will address the issue of Miao Hua’s party membership and Military Commission duties. However, with rumors swirling around numerous individuals being purged, personnel changes might be chaotic, including questions about who will succeed, whether to promote individuals to the rank of general, especially considering that there is usually a batch of promotions at the end of July. Additionally, if Zhang Shengmin, the Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission, is acting as the director of the Political Work Department, it is possible that individuals previously promoted by Xi Jinping will be replaced.
Chen Pokong believed that the fate of He Weidong would follow a similar trajectory as Miao Hua, gradually being declared and removed from official positions and websites. The implications of these cases impose severe blows on Xi Jinping, especially with both his right-hand men being dealt with, leaving him vulnerable. “Xi Jinping has become a figurehead in the military, seemingly holding the position of the Military Commission Chairman, while the real military authority rests in the hands of Zhang Youxia. The other two members of the Military Commission, Liu Zhenli and Zhang Shengmin, are part of the ‘Zhang faction.'”
He speculated that Xi may face three possible outcomes: either sacrificing all those around him to demonstrate compromise until the 21st Congress, temporarily handing over the roles of General Secretary and Military Commission Chairman due to procedural reasons, awaiting resolution in March next year, or the worst-case scenario where the Fourth Plenary Session declares that Xi Jinping has made serious errors and demands his resignation from all positions.