China Ousts Retired Generals Ahead of Major Political Gathering
The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) voted to remove Han Weiguo, Gao Jin, and Liu Lei, state media reported on Monday. Authorities have not explained the ousters, which come amid a recent wave of purges among senior military officials.
China’s leader Xi Jinping has frequently launched anti-corruption campaigns since taking power in 2012, though critics argue they are sometimes used to sideline political rivals.
Some 3,000 delegates from the CPPCC—an advisory body with no legislative power—and the National People’s Congress (NPC) are scheduled to gather in Beijing this week for the annual Two Sessions, which begin tomorrow and are expected to last about a week. Delegates typically serve five-year terms set to end in March 2028, making these mid-term removals unusual.
Han, 70, commanded the PLA army from August 2017 until his retirement in June 2021. His two successors, Liu Zhenli and Li Qiaoming, have also been removed from their roles in the past two months.
Liu Lei, also 70, served as political commissar of the army from December 2015 to January 2022, overlapping with Han’s command. Gao, 67, was the first commander of the now-dissolved Strategic Support Force, formed in 2015, and most recently led the Central Military Commission’s Logistic Support Department until his retirement in January 2022.
In addition to the three generals, several other CPPCC members were officially removed, including Zhang Kejian, a senior defense industry official currently under investigation for corruption.
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