Photo File: China’s Flag

China has expelled two top-ranking generals from the military and the ruling Communist Party as part of ongoing corruption investigations targeting nine senior army officials.

The move marks the latest phase in President Xi Jinping’s decade-long campaign to eradicate graft across all levels of government and the armed forces. It also comes just days before a major four-day meeting of top officials in Beijing to deliberate on long-term economic strategies.

Among those expelled is He Weidong, vice chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC). According to an online statement by defence ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang, He was dismissed for having “seriously violated” discipline.

He, who had not been seen in public since March, had sparked speculation about his fate, though no formal investigation had been previously announced. The statement did not disclose his current whereabouts.

Also removed was Miao Hua, former head of the military’s political work department, who had earlier been stripped of his post, according to state media reports in June.

Zhang further revealed that eight of the nine individuals were also stripped of their Communist Party membership, having previously served on its elite Central Committee.

President Xi has repeatedly described corruption as “the biggest threat” to the Communist Party, warning that “the fight against corruption remains grave and complex.”

“The severe punishment of He Weidong, Miao Hua… and others once again demonstrates the Party Central Committee and the CMC’s unwavering resolve to persevere in the fight against corruption,” Zhang said.

He added that the crackdown represents a “significant achievement in the Party and military’s anti-corruption campaign” and has “contributed to a more pure, consolidated, cohesive and combat-ready People’s Army.”

The latest expulsions follow a string of similar purges of high-ranking military officials. In 2023, former defence minister Li Shangfu was dismissed just seven months into his tenure and later expelled from the Party for offences including suspected bribery.

The announcement comes ahead of the Communist Party’s “fourth plenum,” a key meeting focused on economic planning for the five-year period ending in 2030. The plan will guide President Xi Jinping’s vision for technological self-sufficiency and strengthening China’s military and economic power.