In an unprecedented move that has sent shockwaves through China’s political and military establishment, the Chinese Communist Party expelled nine top generals—including the nation’s second-highest military official—on October 17, 2025. The announcement, delivered by the Ministry of Defense and widely reported by outlets like Reuters and the BBC, marks one of the largest public crackdowns on the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in decades. The expulsions come just days ahead of a key Communist Party meeting, the Fourth Plenum, set to begin on October 20.
The most prominent among those ousted is He Weidong, Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), who until recently was widely regarded as President Xi Jinping’s close ally and the second most powerful figure in China’s armed forces. He Weidong’s removal is especially significant: not only was he a sitting Politburo member—the first such expulsion since 2017—but he also played a central role in military operations and strategic planning, including the high-profile live-fire drills around Taiwan in August 2022. According to Reuters, He’s ties to Xi go back to their overlapping tenures in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces in the late 1990s, with Xi then serving as a senior provincial official.
Alongside He Weidong, Miao Hua, the PLA’s former top political officer and a member of the CMC until his removal in June 2025, was also expelled. The Ministry of Defense stated both men were found to have committed “serious violations of discipline and law.” The statement, echoed by BBC and Reuters, accused the group of “serious duty-related crimes involving an extremely large amount of money, of extremely serious nature, and with extremely detrimental consequences.” The Ministry emphasized that the expulsions represented a “significant achievement in the Party and military’s anti-corruption campaign.”
The list of expelled officials reads like a who’s who of China’s military elite. In addition to He Weidong and Miao Hua, the purge swept up He Hongjun (executive deputy director of the CMC’s political work department), Wang Xiubin (executive deputy director of the CMC’s joint operations command centre), Lin Xiangyang (Eastern Theatre commander), Qin Shutong (Army’s political commissar), Yuan Huazhi (Navy’s political commissar), Wang Houbin (Rocket Forces commander), and Wang Chunning (Armed Police Force commander). Most of these men held three-star ranks and were members of the Party’s powerful Central Committee.
The timing of the crackdown is impossible to ignore. The announcement arrived on the eve of the Fourth Plenum, a critical meeting where the Central Committee will discuss China’s economic development plan and vote in new members. Analysts cited by the BBC suggest that the expulsions serve a dual purpose: they are a public demonstration of Xi Jinping’s resolve to root out corruption, but also a calculated move to consolidate power and ensure loyalty ahead of major personnel decisions. As Wen-Ti Sung, a fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub, told Reuters, “Xi is cleaning house for sure. The formal removal of He and Miao means he will get to appoint new members of the Central Military Commission—which has been virtually half empty since March—at the Plenum.”
He Weidong’s absence from public view since March 2025 had already fueled speculation about his fate. The investigation into his activities was not disclosed until the formal announcement, a pattern that has become increasingly common in Xi’s China. Miao Hua, too, had been under scrutiny since November 2024 and was quietly removed from the CMC in June 2025. Observers note that several of the other purged generals had also disappeared from public events in recent months, further stoking rumors of an impending shake-up.
The anti-corruption campaign in the PLA is not new, but its recent intensity is striking. The CMC had signaled a renewed crackdown as early as July 2025, introducing new guidelines that called for the elimination of “toxic influence” in the military and spelling out “iron rules” for cadres. This latest round of expulsions follows a string of smaller-scale purges in recent years, including the removal of former defense ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, as well as top generals within the Rocket Forces. Notably, one of the Rocket Forces’ replacements, Wang Houbin, is now among those expelled.
The scope of the campaign has extended beyond the military. Civilian officials have also been caught up in Xi’s drive to enforce discipline and loyalty. The disappearance of former foreign minister Qin Gang in 2023, and the subsequent vanishing act of his rumored replacement Liu Jianchao, have underscored the climate of uncertainty that now pervades China’s upper echelons.
While the party’s official line frames the crackdown as a necessary step to ensure a “clean, disciplined, and effective organization,” some analysts warn of unintended consequences. Neil Thomas, a fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, told BBC Chinese, “In [Xi’s] view, cutting out corrupt or disloyal cadres is the Party’s ‘self-revolution’ to become a clean, disciplined, and effective organization that is capable of ruling indefinitely.” Yet, Thomas cautioned, such purges can also chill initiative and make governance more rigid. “This is the price of Xi’s power: the system gets cleaner and more obedient, but also more cautious—and at times, more brittle.”
The international ramifications of these moves are considerable. He Weidong, for instance, was widely seen as the architect of the PLA’s aggressive posture toward Taiwan, including the 2022 live-fire exercises that drew global attention. His sudden downfall, along with the removal of other senior commanders, raises questions about the continuity and direction of China’s military policy in the region. The Pentagon has previously highlighted He’s influential role in shaping China’s military strategy.
Inside China, all eyes are now on the Fourth Plenum. The attendance—or absence—of key figures will be scrutinized as a barometer of the purge’s reach. “If attendance plunges, it’s the clearest public signal yet of how extensive the purges have been,” said Thomas to the BBC. The meeting is expected to formalize the expulsion and replacement of Central Committee members, cementing Xi Jinping’s grip on both the Party and the PLA.
Ultimately, the dramatic purge of China’s military elite underscores both the power and the risks of Xi Jinping’s leadership style. By targeting even his closest associates, Xi has demonstrated an uncompromising approach to discipline and loyalty. Yet, as the dust settles and the Party prepares for its next chapter, the true cost of this campaign—both for China’s governance and its military readiness—remains to be seen.