11:37 18-10-2025

Xi Jinping Fires Nine Top Generals in Anti-Corruption Purge

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Xi Jinping has dismissed nine senior PLA officers, including General He Weidong, in one of China’s largest military purges since the era of Mao Zedong.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has dismissed nine senior officers of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), according to The Wall Street Journal, which cited a spokesperson from China’s Ministry of Defense.

The report says that Beijing decided to remove the country’s second-highest-ranking general and eight other senior commanders as part of an ongoing campaign aimed at tightening control and combating corruption and disloyalty within the military.

Among those dismissed is General He Weidong, considered one of China’s most influential military leaders. Sources told the newspaper that his removal was linked to «serious disciplinary violations and abuse of power.»

Earlier, on August 27, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the situation, that Xi had launched a sweeping personnel purge within the PLA’s high command. According to the outlet’s calculations, by the end of August the number of dismissals had already reached levels not seen since the era of Mao Zedong. Journalists noted that Xi had removed almost one-fifth of the generals he had personally appointed.

The large-scale shake-up in the Chinese military underscores Xi Jinping’s determination to reinforce discipline and eliminate corruption within the armed forces. It also reflects his broader effort to consolidate personal control over the military elite, ensuring that the PLA remains loyal to both the Communist Party and its leader.

Observers note that the current anti-corruption campaign has become one of the most extensive in recent decades, reshaping the top ranks of China’s defense establishment and signaling that Xi’s focus on internal loyalty and accountability remains as strong as ever.