China’s Leadership Elevates Key Military Figure, Adopts Anti-Corruption Measures

On Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Zhang Shengmin, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended a ceremony at the Monument to the People’s Heroes in Tiananmen Square, Beijing. The event marked Martyrs’ Day, honoring national heroes.

On Thursday, China’s senior leaders elevated the last remaining general on the central military commission to the Politburo. This body is the ruling Communist Party’s top governing committee. The move occurred during a closed-door meeting, where leaders also formalized a new resolution on self-governance and anti-corruption efforts.

Gen. Zhang Shengmin, already Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, earned a position on the Politburo. Xi Jinping had previously dismissed two leading generals, making Zhang the sole military representative in this high-ranking circle besides Xi. Zhang also plays a critical role in maintaining military discipline as Deputy Secretary of the CMC Commission for Discipline Inspection.

“The tasks facing the party are increasingly arduous,” stated the resolution, “such as safeguarding national sovereignty and security.” The resolution emphasized rooting out corruption and keeping the party ideologically pure.

The Xinhua News Agency reported that the party should enhance its governance capacity and maintain a strong bond with the population. Since assuming power in 2012, Xi has consistently campaigned against corruption. However, experts note that the current focus also targets ineffective officials.

Party delegates examined past dismissals of senior officials and military leaders, validating the changes. Observations by Neil Thomas from Asia Policy reveal a broad extent of these purges. The attendance rate at the meeting stood at 74%, the lowest since the leadership of Mao Zedong, known for frequent political purges.