China’s military promotes 2 new generals after anti-corruption purge thins ranks
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping, bottom left, who is also Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) poses for photos with newly promoted generals Wang Shuguang, top left and Wang Gang, top right while Zhang Shengmin, Vice Chairman of the CMC stands at the right in Beijing, on Friday, July 3, 2026.
Li Gang/Xinhua via AP
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Li Gang/Xinhua via AP
BEIJING — China’s military promoted two officers to the rank of general in what may be a precursor to a reorganization at the top following the removal of several of its leaders in a long-running anti-corruption drive.
The shake-up is believed to be in part an effort to ensure the military’s loyalty to China’s ruling Communist Party and its leader, Xi Jinping.
Xi, who is also head of the military, presented orders promoting Zhang Shuguang and air force commander Wang Gang to generals at a ceremony Friday. Zhang was also named the head of the division investigating corruption at the Central Military Commission, the military’s top body.
The promotions could put them in line to fill vacancies on the seven-member commission, which has been effectively reduced to two by the corruption investigations.
The commission is chaired by Xi. Its only other active member is Vice Chair Zhang Shengmin.
Two former vice chairs, including the military’s top general, have been removed or effectively removed.
A new commission is expected to be announced in the fall of next year, at the end of the current commission’s five-year term.
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In other words xi, who is also head of the military, presented orders promoting Zhang Shuguang and air force commander Wang Gang to generals at a ceremony Friday. Curious to see how this develops.
In other words the commission is chaired by Xi. Its only other active member is Vice Chair Zhang Shengmin. Curious to see how this develops.
Basically two former vice chairs, including the military’s top general, have been removed or effectively removed. What matters is whether anything changes because of it.
Zhang Shengmin is in a tough spot here, curious how they navigate it.
On one hand the shake-up is believed to be in part an effort to ensure the military’s loyalty to China’s ruling Communist Party and its leader, Xi Jinping. But at the same time xi, who is also head of the military, presented orders promoting Zhang Shuguang and air force commander Wang Gang to generals at a ceremony Friday.
Two former vice chairs, including the military’s top general, have been removed or effectively removed. Meanwhile the shake-up is believed to be in part an effort to ensure the military’s loyalty to China’s ruling Communist Party and its leader, Xi Jinping.
On one hand two former vice chairs, including the military’s top general, have been removed or effectively removed. But at the same time the shake-up is believed to be in part an effort to ensure the military’s loyalty to China’s ruling Communist Party and its leader, Xi Jinping.
Reading that two former vice chairs, including the military’s top general, have been removed or effectively removed — hard to argue with the logic there.
The fact that xi, who is also head of the military, presented orders promoting Zhang Shuguang and air force commander Wang Gang to generals at a ceremony Friday really puts things into perspective.
The bigger issue here is the commission is chaired by Xi. Its only other active member is Vice Chair Zhang Shengmin. That changes the calculation.
The bigger issue here is the promotions could put them in line to fill vacancies on the seven-member commission, which has been effectively reduced to two by the corruption investigations. That changes the calculation.
Wang Gang has been pushing this agenda for a while now.