China Removes 19 Officials, Including Nine Military Officers, Ahead of Key Political Meetings

Beijing. China has removed 19 officials from the list of legislators ahead of its largest annual political meeting, including nine military officers.

 The decision was made by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislative body. The formal reason for removing the officials has not been made public. However, this move comes weeks after President Xi Jinping removed one of his top military aides, Zhang Youxia, from his post. He was accused of serious discipline and law violations, which is often the government's terminology linked to corruption.

According to state media, among those removed from the list were Li Qiaoming, the commander of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Ground Force, and Shen Jinhlong, the former Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. Additionally, some regional officials, including Sun Shaochong, the former Party Chief of the Inner Mongolia region, were also removed from the list.

 Since coming to power, Xi has been running an aggressive anti-corruption campaign. He has called corruption the biggest threat to the Chinese Communist Party. However, critics have argued that this campaign is sometimes used as a tool to remove political rivals.

The removal of high-ranking individuals within the Chinese military has been ongoing in recent years. In October 2025, nine top generals were removed from their posts, which the government stated was part of the anti-corruption drive. The 'Tigers and Flies' campaign, initiated by Xi after he took power in 2013, has targeted officials at both high and low levels. He recently stated that the fight against corruption is in a serious and complex stage.