Beijing, October 25: China has appointed a senior general known for leading anti-corruption efforts within the military as the country’s second-highest-ranking officer, just days after nine generals were expelled in one of the largest purges in decades.
Zhang Shengmin, 67, was named second-ranked vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) at the close of a four-day meeting of the Communist Party’s Central Committee, state media reported on Friday. His appointment makes him the third most powerful figure in the CMC, after President Xi Jinping and the first-ranked vice chairman Zhang Youxia.
Zhang, a veteran of the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, has served as deputy secretary of the CMC’s anti-corruption arm and played a central role in the military’s internal clean-up campaign. Born in Shaanxi province, he joined the PLA in 1978.
His elevation follows the expulsion of nine senior generals last week, accused by China’s defence ministry of serious financial crimes. Analysts, however, say the move also signals a political tightening within the armed forces as Xi seeks to cement control.
The purge is part of a broader effort to root out corruption and what the CMC described in July as “toxic influence” in the ranks. The commission at the time issued new “iron rules” for military conduct. Recent years have seen smaller-scale removals of senior figures, including former defence ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu.
During the same four-day session, the Central Committee also approved a new five-year plan to guide the country’s strategic priorities. The document called for “scientific and technological self-reliance”, amid continuing U.S. restrictions on advanced semiconductors under President Donald Trump’s administration, and pledged to modernise defence, accelerate the green transition, and boost domestic consumption to offset slowing exports.
