China dismisses nine senior military officers over corruption; Xi Jinping’s close aides among those expelled

Digital Desk

China has dismissed nine senior military officials, including two high-ranking officers considered close to President Xi Jinping, in one of the largest anti-corruption actions under his leadership. The Ministry of Defense confirmed that General He Weidong and Navy Admiral Miao Hua have been expelled from both the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Communist Party for corruption-related offences, according to Reuters.

Top leaders removed amid major anti-graft drive

General He Weidong, the former Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC)—the PLA’s highest command body under Xi’s leadership—had not appeared in public since March 2025. He is known to be a longtime ally of Xi Jinping, having worked with him in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces during the 1990s. Xi personally promoted him to the vice-chairmanship in 2022, a position usually attained after decades in senior command roles.

Admiral Miao Hua, another key Xi appointee, was a former top political officer in the PLA and headed the CMC’s Political Work Department. He had been under investigation since November 2024. Miao oversaw ideological and Party loyalty within the military—a role central to Xi’s efforts to tighten political control over the armed forces.

Other officers expelled

Alongside He and Miao, seven other senior officers were dismissed for similar charges, including:

He Hongjun, former senior PLA officer
Wang Xiubin, CMC Joint Operations Command Center
Lin Xiangyang, former Eastern Theater Commander
Two unnamed former political commissars of the PLA and Navy

Analysts: Xi consolidating control over military

Experts say the purge is part of Xi Jinping’s broader campaign to eliminate corruption and strengthen loyalty within the military.
According to Wen-Ti Sung of the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub, “Xi Jinping is clearly cleaning house. Removing He and Miao allows him to refill key CMC posts that have remained vacant for months.”

The announcement comes just ahead of the fourth plenary session of the Communist Party’s Central Committee, where more senior appointments and disciplinary actions are expected.

Earlier removals under the campaign

The crackdown follows previous dismissals of top officials, including Vice Admiral Li Hanjun, Chief of Staff of the Navy, and Liu Shipeng, Deputy Chief Engineer of the China National Nuclear Corporation, also over corruption charges.

Even Defense Minister Dong Jun, appointed in December 2023, has faced scrutiny—making him the third consecutive defense minister to be investigated under Xi’s anti-corruption drive. Former ministers Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe were previously ousted for similar reasons.

Strengthening Xi’s grip and modernizing the PLA

Xi’s long-term goal, analysts say, is to ensure absolute loyalty of the armed forces to the Communist Party while pushing forward rapid military modernization.

China’s defense budget for this year rose 7.2% to $249 billion (1.78 trillion yuan)—three times larger than India’s $79 billion. However, experts believe actual spending may be 40–50% higher than reported, with portions hidden under other budget categories.

China now ranks as the second-largest military spender in the world, behind only the United States, whose defense budget stands at approximately $950 billion.

The latest dismissals underscore Xi Jinping’s determination to tighten control, eliminate corruption, and reinforce discipline in the PLA as part of his effort to make China a global military superpower.