China’s second-ranking general and Politburo member becomes the most senior official to be ousted in the PLA’s sweeping anti-corruption drive.
· He Weidong, once regarded as a close ally of Xi Jinping, rose rapidly through the ranks to join the top military leadership.
· Xi Jinping intensifies his political ‘housecleaning’ ahead of a crucial Communist Party leadership meeting next week.
China’s relentless anti-corruption campaign has struck at the heart of its military leadership once again. In a dramatic escalation of President Xi Jinping’s sweeping purge, the country’s second-ranking general, He Weidong, and another senior officer, Miao Hua, have been expelled from both the Communist Party and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The Ministry of National Defence announced the decision on Friday, underscoring Beijing’s determination to cleanse the upper echelons of its armed forces. The expulsions, tied to an extensive anti-graft probe, represent one of the most significant shake-ups within China’s military hierarchy in decades.
The Fall of a Powerful General
He Weidong, 68, served as Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) — the country’s top defense body — and was also a member of the 24-seat Politburo, making him the most senior active-duty officer ever to face a corruption investigation under Xi.
According to the Defence Ministry, He and Miao Hua, the PLA’s top political commissar, committed “serious violations of Party discipline and law” and were involved in “grave duty-related crimes involving vast sums of money.” Their alleged misconduct, the ministry stated, had “extremely harmful consequences” for the Party and the military’s reputation.
Notably, He Weidong has not appeared publicly since March 2025, fueling months of speculation about his fate. His downfall marks the first time since the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) that a sitting general on the CMC has been expelled while in office — a rare and politically charged move.
A Shrinking Central Military Commission
The Central Military Commission, chaired by Xi Jinping himself, commands the entire PLA and is pivotal to consolidating his control over the armed forces. Of the seven CMC members appointed after the 20th Party Congress in 2022, only four remain: Xi, Vice-Chairman Zhang Youxia, Chief of Joint Staff Liu Zhenli, and Zhang Shengmin, the head of the military’s discipline inspection body.
This level of turnover among top generals has not been seen in decades, raising questions about internal stability and the scale of corruption within the PLA. He’s removal also comes just days before the Party’s Fourth Plenum in Beijing, where additional disciplinary actions and leadership reshuffles are expected.
A Pattern of Purges Under Xi
Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption drive within the military is not new. Since 2013, he has spearheaded a sweeping campaign that has brought down dozens of senior officers, including former CMC vice-chairmen Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou, both accused of massive bribery and influence-peddling.
More recently, in 2023, rocket force commanders and defense ministry officials were dismissed under similar allegations, signaling that the probe has widened to nearly every branch of China’s armed forces. Analysts suggest that beyond corruption, the purge also serves as a means for Xi to tighten personal loyalty among the ranks.
The Cost of Cleansing Power
While the government portrays these removals as a moral cleansing of the military, the frequency and depth of the purges hint at deeper systemic issues — from opaque promotions to entrenched patronage networks.
As Xi prepares for key political meetings aimed at reinforcing central control, the latest expulsions send a clear message: no rank is immune from scrutiny. Yet, the continued instability within the PLA’s top command also raises concerns about institutional confidence and morale.
In Xi’s China, loyalty is paramount — and the fall of He Weidong and Miao Hua underscores that the battle against corruption remains both a political and ideological crusade at the core of his rule.
(With agency inputs)
