China promotes two generals as a corruption purge thins the military's top ranks
Xi Jinping, who chairs China’s Central Military Commission, presented promotion orders elevating Zhang Shuguang and air force commander Wang Gang to the rank of general at a ceremony. The move fills gaps at the top of the People’s Liberation Army left by a long-running anti-corruption campaign that has removed a string of senior officers.
Among those caught up in the purge are former CMC vice-chairman He Weidong, who has been placed under investigation, and two former defense ministers, Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe, who received suspended death sentences. The investigations have reportedly cut the seven-member commission down to two, leaving the body that runs the armed forces sharply understaffed.
The reshuffle is widely read as an effort to reinforce loyalty to the Communist Party and to Xi personally. Repeatedly purging and then repopulating the senior ranks tightens political control, but the churn also removes experienced commanders and signals persistent distrust within the force Xi is trying to modernize.