Nine Chinese Military Officials Including CMC Members Expelled in Rare Sweeping Purge Ahead of Party’s Fourth Plenum

Beijing has dismissed nine high-ranking military officials—including two members of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC)—in a sweeping purge announced just days before a key political meeting, the 20th Central Committee’s Fourth Plenum, scheduled for Oct. 20–23.

According to a Defense Ministry notice issued on Oct.17, CMC Vice Chairman He Weidong, CMC member and former Political Work Department director Miao Hua, and seven other senior commanders were expelled from both the Communist Party and the military.

The official statement accused them of “serious duty-related crimes involving enormous sums of money,” describing their offenses as “especially severe and with extremely harmful impact.”

The other expelled officers were named as He Hongjun, Wang Xiubin, Lin Xiangyang, Qin Shutong, Yuan Huazhi, Wang Houbin, and Wang Chunning—all holding the rank of general.

The Defense Ministry said the CMC had already stripped them of their military status before the Party’s Central Committee formally expelled them.

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The timing—immediately before the Fourth Plenum, where Party leadership is expected to discuss political stability and personnel alignment—has raised eyebrows among China watchers.

Observers note that all nine generals were promoted during Xi Jinping’s tenure, many considered part of his so-called “Xi loyalist” or Jia Jun (Xi’s personal military network).

Online reactions: ‘Xi is purging his own’

The announcement ignited heated debate on overseas Chinese-language social media.

Users on the platform X (formerly Twitter) flooded the topic with speculation and sarcasm.

One journalist posted:

“Of the 79 senior officers promoted by Xi since he took power, 15 are now under investigation or missing. This is the largest purge in the Chinese military since Mao’s death in 1976.”

Another user wrote:

“These were all Xi’s people—his own generals. If they’re turning against him, who’s left to trust?”

Others mocked the situation as ‘self-cannibalism within the regime’ or ‘Xi’s army devouring itself.’

Some even joked that “Xi has drawn the knife on himself,” while others claimed “the loyalists have all fallen, leaving the emperor exposed.”

While such commentary is censored inside China, the discussion has gone viral on overseas Chinese forums and video channels.

Political signal or corruption cleanup?

Analysts remain divided on whether the mass expulsion reflects a genuine anti-corruption effort or a deeper political struggle.

Military analysts note that China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has undergone multiple purges since Xi launched his sweeping anti-graft campaign in 2013, targeting dozens of generals including former CMC vice chairmen Xu Caihou and Guo Boxiong.

“This wave is different,” said one political scholar in London. “It comes on the eve of a key Party meeting and targets Xi’s own protégés. That suggests not just corruption—but mistrust within the top ranks.”

Others argue the move could be a sign of tightening control rather than weakness. “If this is about centralizing power, not losing it,” wrote one commentator on X, “then Xi is accelerating his own cycle of authoritarian decay.”

In a related move, Beijing authorities imposed airspace restrictions and banned balloon releases, sky lanterns, and drone flights during the plenum period.
A notice published by the Beijing Evening News cited public safety regulations, declaring all of Beijing a “restricted zone for unmanned aerial vehicles.”

Residents were reminded that under the Interim Regulations on the Management of Unmanned Aircraft, all drones must be registered under real names, with fines ranging from 200 yuan to 20,000 yuan for violations.

The temporary flight ban underscores the government’s heightened sensitivity ahead of the closed-door session, where discussions are expected to center on political discipline and loyalty within the Party and military.

A deepening pattern of fear and control

While official media portrayed the expulsions as part of the anti-corruption drive, the broader pattern suggests growing internal instability.
In recent years, a string of disappearances among senior defense officials—including former Defense Minister Li Shangfu—has raised concerns about paranoia and loyalty checks at the top of the command chain.

For now, Beijing offers no public explanation beyond “serious violations of discipline.”

But among China’s online diaspora, the message is clear: when the Party purges its own generals, the real battle may be within.

Fact Box: The Nine Generals Expelled on October 17, 2025