Anti-Graft: Chinese Communist Party Expels He Weidong, Miao Hua, 7 Other Generals Ahead of Key Meeting

• He Weidong is the most prominent military figure brought down in the CCP’s decade-long campaign against alleged corruption and disloyalty
• Rare disclosure from defence ministry comes days ahead of key Communist Party fourth plenum to discuss next five-year plan amid US rivalry

In a dramatic move on Oct. 17, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) expelled nine high-ranking military leaders and handed them over for investigations on accusations related to corruption and abuse of power, including a top general considered to be a close ally of Party chief Xi Jinping.

He Weidong, a member of the Politburo—the CCP’s second-highest decision-making body—and a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), which exercises the CCP’s control over the armed forces, was stripped of his Party membership and taken down from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), according to a spokesperson for China’s defense ministry.

The announcement makes He the most prominent military figure brought down in the CCP’s decade-long campaign against so-called corruption.

Launched by Xi shortly after he took power in late 2012, the anti-graft campaign initially targeted officers loyal to factions opposing Xi’s rule. The latest purges, however, have increasingly targeted Xi’s protégés and longtime associates, sparking speculation about power struggles behind the scenes.

Aside from He, another general close to Xi, Miao Hua, was also expelled from the military and the CCP, according to the defense ministry. Miao had overseen the PLA’s political loyalty until his abrupt suspension in November 2024, when Beijing placed him under investigation for suspected corruption. He lost his position in the CMC in June this year.

The defense ministry revealed on Oct. 17 that Miao’s deputy, He Hongjun, executive deputy director of the CMC’s Political Work Department, was also ensnared in the anti-graft drive.

These individuals “seriously violated Party discipline” and are “suspected of serious duty-related misconduct, involving an extremely large amount of money,” Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for the defense ministry, said at a briefing in Beijing.

Their offences were “of a grave nature, with extremely detrimental consequences,” Zhang said, according to the official transcript.

All nine had already been expelled from the army, and their cases will be handed to military prosecutors, he added.

The generals named by Beijing include Wang Xiubin, former executive deputy director of the CMC Joint Operations Command Center; Lin Xiangyang, former commander of the Eastern Theater Command; Qin Shutong, former political commissar of the army; and Yuan Huazhi, former political commissar of the navy.

Wang Chunning, former commander of the armed police force, and Wang Houbin, former head of the Rocket Force, which commands the country’s nuclear missiles, were also expelled, according to the ministry.

The announcement came just days before a key conclave that will gather the CCP’s most senior officials in Beijing.

The focus of the closed-door meeting will be the 15th five-year plan, a blueprint outlining social, economic, and political objectives for the next five years, according to Chinese state media. Personnel reshuffles are also expected to be on the agenda.

The conclave, known as the fourth plenum, will be closely watched by political analysts who are monitoring any signs of a potential power transfer. The unprecedented purges of top officials of the CCP and its controlled armed forces have raised questions about the stability of the regime’s leadership.

Some analysts connected to Beijing’s political elite say Xi’s hold on power may have waned due to ongoing struggles with Party elders.

The latest announcement “further indicates that Xi Jinping could face a loss of power at the upcoming Fourth Plenum,” said Shen Ming-shih, a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, a think tank funded by the Taiwanese government.

If further purges of Xi’s appointees are announced before the conclave, it may suggest increasing pressure for him to step down, Shen, who has been closely monitoring China’s military and political landscape, told The Epoch Times.

“Even if Xi Jinping himself was unaffected, the downfall of so many generals he chose indicates a lack of judgment in personnel decisions,” he noted.

When the military leaders Xi elevated are accused of corruption, Shen said, “the responsibility ultimately lies with Xi Jinping.”

Written with reports from The Epoch Times