BEIJING – In a major shake-up within China’s military ranks, the government has expelled one of its most senior generals, He Weidong, from both the Communist Party and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) over what officials described as “serious violations of discipline and law.”
The announcement came on Friday, October 16, from China’s Ministry of National Defense, marking yet another escalation in President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign that has increasingly targeted the country’s top military leadership.
Alongside He Weidong, authorities have also dismissed Miao Hua, the PLA’s top political officer and a fellow member of the Central Military Commission (CMC) — the most powerful military decision-making body in China. Both men were among the six senior figures who formed the CMC’s core until Hua’s removal earlier this year in June.
General He Weidong, who served as Vice-Chairman of the CMC and ranked as China’s second-highest military officer, has reportedly not appeared in public since March, fueling months of speculation about his status. However, this is the first time the government has officially confirmed an investigation and subsequent disciplinary action.
He Weidong’s removal marks the third expulsion of a CMC member since the current commission took office in 2022— an unprecedented turnover in China’s recent political history. Out of the seven members appointed at the 20th Party Congress, only four remain, a disruption that analysts say underscores the deepening internal purge within China’s armed forces.
Currently, the CMC is composed of President Xi Jinping, who serves as its chairman, Vice-Chairman Zhang Youxia, Liu Zhenli, head of the Joint Staff Department, and Zhang Shengmin, chief of the military’s discipline inspection body.
Observers note that the sweeping dismissals reflect Xi’s determination to tighten control over the military while reinforcing political loyalty and eradicating corruption at the highest levels of command.
