China Purge: 9 Military Officials Removed
China removes 19 officials, including nine military leaders, ahead of the Two Sessions in a sweeping anti-corruption purge before key policy talks.
China has removed 19 officials, including nine military officers, from its list of lawmakers ahead of next week's biggest annual political meeting.
The removals were announced by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's highest legislative body.
No official reason was given for the removals, but it comes just weeks after President Xi Jinping removed Zhang Youxia, his top general and one of his closest military aides.
Since coming to power, Xi has launched an anti-corruption campaign, calling corruption the "greatest threat" to the Communist Party. However, some critics say it has been used as a tool to eliminate political enemies.
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According to a report by state media outlets, those removed include People's Liberation Army (PLA) Ground Force Commander Li Xiaoming and former PLA Navy Commander Shen Jinlong.
The list also included several other military officers and several provincial officials, including Sun Shaochong, the former party chief of the Inner Mongolia region.
This comes just weeks after Zhang was removed from his post, accused of "serious violations of discipline and law" – a term often used to describe corruption.
But it is also the latest in a series of high-profile removals of figures in the military over the past few years, including an October 2025 crackdown in which nine top generals were removed from their posts. At the time, officials said the action was part of an anti-corruption drive.
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Xi has made the fight against corruption a key part of his rule, beginning with his "Tigers and Flies" anti-corruption drive, which targeted both high-level and low-level officials shortly after he took power in 2013.
He recently said the fight remains "serious and complex."
Thousands of delegates are due to arrive in the capital, Beijing, next week for two sessions: the NPC, the annual meeting of China's legislature, and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory body.
At these two sessions, which run from March 4 to 11, the government will announce its five-year plan, outlining its main policy goals and annual economic targets.
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