Nine generals of the Chinese People's Liberation Army have been stripped of their National People's Congress delegate status. The military purge appears to be expanding ahead of the Two Sessions, China's largest political event scheduled for next month.
According to the South China Morning Post and other outlets on the 27th, the Standing Committee of the 14th NPC decided to remove a total of 19 delegates during its 21st session held on the 25th and 26th of this month. Among them were nine generals, including five full generals (the highest rank in the Chinese military), one lieutenant general, and three major generals.
The five full generals who lost their NPC delegate status include Li Wei, former political commissar of the Information Support Force; Li Chaoming, former Army commander; Shen Jinlong, former Navy commander; Qin Shengxiang, former Navy political commissar; and Yu Zongfu, former Air Force political commissar. Among these, Shen Jinlong, Qin Shengxiang, and Yu Zongfu are retired generals.
Additionally, Lieutenant General Wang Donghai, political commissar of the Central Military Commission's National Defense Mobilization Department, was removed along with Major Generals Bian Ruifeng of the Central Military Commission, Ding Laifu of the Army, and Yang Guang of the Rocket Force.
Beyond the nine generals, 10 other delegates also lost their status, including Sun Xiaocheng, former party secretary of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Lian Yueqin, former director of the Jiangsu Province Taiwan Affairs Office.
Chinese authorities did not disclose the reasons for the removals. However, observers believe they are closely linked to ongoing anti-corruption and discipline efforts within the military. The purge scope appears to be widening following last month's indictments of Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and the military's second-ranking official, and Liu Zhenli, chief of the Joint Staff Department.
The upcoming NPC session is expected to address the status of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli. Chinese authorities are reportedly deliberating whether to maintain the two officials' NPC delegate status. The investigation into both individuals may require more time, and leadership may not yet have reached consensus on the matter.