China Expels 9 Senior PLA Officials for Alleged Disciplinary Violations
The Spin
Pro-China narrative
China’s expulsion of nine senior PLA generals demonstrates the party’s firm resolve to uphold discipline and integrity under Xi Jinping. The officials were found to have committed serious financial-related crimes and egregious mismanagement of personnel and promotions, fostering cronyism that undermined military cohesion and party oversight. This decisive action continues the deep political rectification that has revitalized the People’s Army since 2012, ensuring its absolute loyalty to the party, unity of command, and readiness to achieve the goal of building a world-class military by 2030.
Anti-China narrative
Xi Jinping’s latest purge of nine senior PLA generals, including his own protégés He Weidong and Miao Hua, exposes deep rot within China’s military and cracks in his personal grip on the armed forces. Officers he personally promoted, many from his Fujian power base, were expelled for corruption, dereliction or political unreliability, suggesting Xi’s decade-long anti-corruption campaign failed to secure loyalty. With so many senior leaders now removed, the army risks a hollow vacuum of experienced generals, potentially destabilizing command, disrupting operations and undermining morale just as China faces rising regional tensions.
