Purge of Xi’s Closest Generals Raises Questions Over His Grip on CCP’s Military

The removal of nine senior officers, including top commanders of key military units, highlights the potential instability of Xi’s rule.

Vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China Zhang Youxia and He Weidong (front), swears an oath with members of the Central Military Commission after they were appointed during the fourth plenary session of the National People's Congress in Beijing on March 11, 2023. Lintao Zhang/Getty Images

In the latest shake-up of China’s military in years, nine senior officers of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have been expelled from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), China’s Ministry of National Defense announced Friday.

The ministry said that the nine, including one of the country’s two vice chairmen of the Central Military Commission (CMC), were expelled for “disciplinary violations and allegedly serious duty-related crimes.”