China Names Anti-Graft Veteran Zhang Shengmin as Second-Highest General Amid Major Military Purge
Beijing, China: The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has elevated Zhang Shengmin, a veteran official who has previously overseen anti-corruption efforts within the armed forces, to the position of second-ranked vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC). The appointment, announced at the conclusion of a four-day Central Committee meeting, comes just days after a major purge saw nine generals expelled from the military.
Zhang, 67, will now become the third-highest official in the country’s top military body, serving after the first-ranked vice chairman, Zhang Youxia, and President Xi Jinping, who chairs the CMC.
The nine generals who were recently removed were suspected of “serious financial crimes,” according to a statement released by China’s Ministry of Defense last week. However, the mass expulsion has also been interpreted by analysts as a political purge, marking one of the largest public crackdowns on the military by the Chinese Communist Party in decades.
Zhang Shengmin’s promotion places an official with a strong anti-corruption background into a pivotal leadership role on the Central Military Commission, signaling a potential continuation of efforts to enforce discipline and loyalty at the highest levels of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).