Chinese Congress Sidesteps Purged Generals, Raising Questions About Xi’s Grip on Military: Insiders

The episode marks a rare instance in which China’s congress did not move in lockstep with Xi’s political agenda on a high-stakes personnel matter.

Delegates from the Chinese military walk together as they arrive at the closing session of the National Peoples Congress, or NPC, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on March 11, 2025. Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

The Chinese Communist Party’s rubber-stamp congress quietly stripped several deputies of their seats this month but avoided taking action against two senior military figures whose political downfall had already been publicly announced. This omission is raising questions about internal resistance to Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s authority over the armed forces.

On Feb. 4, Chinese state media outlet Xinhua News Agency announced the termination of the credentials of three National People’s Congress (NPC) deputies, all drawn from China’s defense-industrial sector.