Beijing, In a significant shake-up of the Chinese military, nine high-ranking generals of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), including key officials from the Rocket Force, have been removed from the National People’s Congress (NPC), the nation’s Parliament. The dismissed officials, comprising five former or current commanders of the PLA Rocket Force and a former Air Force commander, were not provided with a reason for their disqualification, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.
The NPC’s Standing Committee made the announcement, coinciding with the recent appointment of General Dong Jun as the new Defence Minister. The purge follows an anti-corruption drive within China, impacting various senior commanders in the Rocket Force, with the military’s anti-corruption body investigating several figures, including the force’s current commander Li Yuchao.
The terminated generals were closely associated with the dismissed Defence Minister Gen. Li Shangfu. Their removal from the NPC aligns with the People’s Republic of China’s legal provisions concerning representatives to the NPC.
This move echoes previous dismissals within the PLA for corruption, underscoring President Xi’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign. Critics argue that the campaign has been utilized to suppress dissent and eliminate rivals within the party. The next annual session of the NPC is scheduled for March 5, with Dong Jun, a close confidant of Chinese President Xi, appointed as the new Defence Minister.
Former Foreign Minister Qin Gang also faced an unexplained removal, replaced by Wang Yi. The whereabouts of both Li and Qin remain unknown.
