China’s top legislature removes 9 military officials ahead of Beijing’s ‘two sessions’
Five full generals, including army and navy commanders, were removed from the legislative delegation list.
China's top legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), has executed a significant pre-meeting personnel adjustment by removing nine senior military officials from its list of deputies. The move comes just ahead of Beijing's crucial annual 'Two Sessions' political gatherings, which set the nation's policy agenda. The state-run Xinhua News Agency reported the updated list for the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and People's Armed Police delegation now totals 243 deputies, down from the previous count. The authorities provided no explicit explanation for the removals, a common practice in China's political system where such adjustments are often linked to changes in official status, ongoing investigations, or the termination of qualifications.
The list of removed officials is notably high-ranking, including five full generals who held command and political commissar roles in core military branches. Specifically, those removed include Ground Forces commander Li Qiaoming, former navy commander Shen Jinlong, and Information Support Force political commissar Li Wei. The timing, immediately before a major political event where military representation and policy are discussed, suggests a deliberate consolidation or reshuffling of power within the PLA's upper echelons. Analysts will be watching closely to see if these removals precede new appointments or are connected to broader disciplinary or strategic shifts within the Chinese military command structure ahead of the meetings.
- Nine senior PLA officials, including five full generals, were removed as NPC deputies.
- The removals occurred days before China's key 'Two Sessions' political meetings with no official reason given.
- Affected posts include the commander of the Ground Forces and the former commander of the Navy.
Why It Matters
Signals a major, unexplained shakeup in China's military leadership ahead of a critical policy-setting political event.