China’s political establishment has moved quietly but decisively ahead of its most choreographed annual gathering, removing three retired senior military officers from the country’s top advisory body without public explanation. The decision, announced days before the opening of the national “Two Sessions” meetings in Beijing, underscores the continued turbulence within the upper ranks of the armed forces.
State media reported Monday that the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) voted to expel Han Weiguo, Gao Jin, and Liu Lei from its membership. The CPPCC, while lacking legislative authority, occupies a central role in China’s political architecture, functioning as a consultative platform that convenes party officials, military figures, business leaders and representatives from aligned organizations. Its annual session coincides with that of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the country’s formal legislature, in what is collectively known as the “Two Sessions.”
Roughly 3,000 delegates are expected in Beijing this week for the synchronized meetings, which will run for about seven days. Though largely ceremonial in appearance, the sessions serve as an important venue for signaling policy direction, affirming leadership authority, and reinforcing institutional discipline. In that context, the removal of senior figures — particularly mid-term — carries weight.
CPPCC and NPC members typically serve five-year terms, with the current cycle scheduled to conclude in March 2028. Mid-cycle expulsions are uncommon, making the timing notable. No official reason was provided for the removal of the three generals. Yet the move follows a widening series of disciplinary actions and investigations within China’s military establishment, suggesting the advisory body’s reshuffle is part of a broader pattern rather than an isolated decision.
Han Weiguo, 70, once commanded the ground forces of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), serving from August 2017 until his retirement in June 2021. His tenure coincided with an era of sweeping military restructuring and modernization driven by President Xi Jinping. During those years, the PLA underwent organizational overhauls intended to improve joint operations capability and tighten central command oversight.
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Han’s removal gains added significance given developments involving his successors. Both Liu Zhenli and Li Qiaoming — who followed him in leading the army — have been removed from their respective roles in the past two months. Although the details surrounding those changes remain limited, the pattern signals unusual volatility at a level traditionally marked by continuity.
Liu Lei, also 70, served as political commissar of the army between December 2015 and January 2022. As political commissar, he would have been responsible for maintaining party discipline and ideological alignment within the ranks — a core principle of China’s military doctrine, which holds that the armed forces remain firmly under Communist Party control. His tenure overlapped extensively with Han’s command period, placing both men at the center of the army’s leadership during years of structural reform.
Gao Jin, 67, represents another important strand of the military’s recent evolution. He became the inaugural commander of the Strategic Support Force when it was established in 2015. The force, designed to integrate space, cyber, and electronic warfare capabilities, was later dissolved as part of further restructuring. Gao most recently headed the Central Military Commission’s Logistic Support Department before retiring in January 2022. His career trajectory placed him squarely within the reformist wave that sought to reposition China’s military for technologically driven warfare.
The removals were not confined to the three retired generals. Among other figures dismissed from the CPPCC was Zhang Kejian, a senior defense industry official currently under investigation for corruption. His case reflects the enduring reach of internal probes beyond uniformed officers and into the industrial ecosystem that supports China’s defense apparatus.
The latest announcement follows a succession of high-profile actions. Only days earlier, authorities confirmed the dismissal of 19 officials, including nine military personnel. In January, two senior generals — Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli — were removed from their posts. According to the defense ministry, both are under investigation for “serious violations of discipline and law,” language typically associated with corruption or breaches of party regulations.
Since assuming power in 2012, Xi Jinping has repeatedly deployed anti-corruption campaigns across party, state, and military institutions. Officially framed as efforts to eradicate graft and restore integrity, these campaigns have led to the downfall of numerous senior figures. Supporters argue the drives are necessary to preserve discipline within a vast and complex system. Critics, however, contend that anti-corruption mechanisms also serve as instruments for consolidating authority and neutralizing potential rivals.
The armed forces have been a particular focus of these campaigns. Military modernization under Xi has been coupled with strict political oversight, reinforcing the principle that loyalty to the Communist Party — and to Xi as its core leader — remains non-negotiable. Investigations within the PLA often proceed with limited public detail, reinforcing both the opacity and the message of centralized control.
Against this backdrop, the CPPCC’s decision to remove the three retired generals may be less about advisory participation and more about institutional signaling. Even in retirement, senior officers retain symbolic and networked influence. Stripping them of formal political roles, especially ahead of the Two Sessions, demonstrates that past service offers no insulation from scrutiny.
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The convergence of timing — days before the country’s most visible political gathering — suggests careful calibration. The Two Sessions serve as an annual reaffirmation of policy priorities and leadership continuity. By resolving sensitive personnel matters in advance, authorities may aim to project an image of procedural order and decisive governance during the meetings themselves.
Whether further investigations will be announced remains unclear. What is evident is that the recalibration within China’s military and advisory institutions is ongoing. The removals reinforce a central theme of Xi’s tenure: discipline, loyalty, and control within the structures that underpin state power.
As delegates assemble in Beijing, the absence of several once-prominent military figures will be conspicuous within elite circles, even if scarcely acknowledged in public discourse. In China’s tightly managed political system, silence often speaks as clearly as formal statements.