On the afternoon of October 17, Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense, issued the following statements:
“With the approval of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Committee and the Central Military Commission (CMC), the CMC’s Discipline Inspection Commission and Supervisory Commission have opened formal investigations into nine senior military officials:
- Politburo member and CMC Vice Chairman He Weidong
- CMC member and former Director of the CMC Political Work Department Miao Hua
- Former Executive Deputy Director of the CMC Political Work Department He Hongjun
- Former Executive Deputy Director of the CMC Joint Operations Command Center Wang Xiubin
- Former Commander of the Eastern Theater Command Lin Xiangyang
- Former Political Commissar of the Army Qin Shutang
- Former Political Commissar of the Navy Yuan Huazhi
- Former Commander of the Rocket Force Wang Houbin
- Former Commander of the People’s Armed Police Wang Chunning”
“Investigations revealed that all nine officials had seriously violated Party discipline and were suspected of committing major duty-related crimes involving extremely large sums of money. Their actions were particularly egregious with profoundly negative impact. Consequently, the CCP Central Committee decided to expel all nine from the Party and transfer their cases to the military procuratorate for legal prosecution.
“Of the nine, eight – He Weidong, Miao Hua, He Hongjun, Wang Xiubin, Lin Xiangyang, Qin Shutang, Yuan Huazhi, and Wang Chunning – were Central Committee members, and their expulsions will be formally ratified at the next full Central Committee meeting. The CMC had earlier decided to strip all nine of their military ranks.”
All nine were full generals personally promoted by Xi Jinping and had advanced rapidly under his leadership. Several, including He Weidong, Miao Hua, and Lin Xiangyang, had previously served in the 31st Group Army, Xi’s former power base in Fujian.
The purge of these Xi-aligned generals from both the Party and the military has sparked speculation among rival factions and Party elders, who may question Xi’s personnel decisions and his ability to control the armed forces. At the upcoming Fourth Plenary Session of the CCP 20th Party Congress, the vacant Central Committee seats are expected to be filled, offering observers a chance to assess whether Xi’s military authority remains secure or has been weakened.
Sources:
1. Ministry of Defense website, October 17, 2025
http://www.mod.gov.cn/gfbw/qwfb/16416031.html
2. Epoch Times, October 17, 2025
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/25/10/17/n14618290.htm