The CCP’s “Two Sessions” has become a window to observe the CCP’s anti-corruption efforts. Long unseen and rumored to be under investigation, Army Commander Li Qiaoming appeared at the meeting establishing the military and armed police delegation, potentially dispelling the rumors of his troubles.
Official CCP information shows that the military and armed police delegation of the 14th National People’s Congress Third Session was established the day before yesterday (March 3rd), with Vice Chairmen of the Central Military Commission Zhang Youxia and He Weidong serving as the head and deputy head of the delegation, respectively. CCP Army Commander Li Qiaoming also participated in the meeting.
CCTV footage shows Army Commander Li Qiaoming seated to the right of Air Force Commander Chang Dingqiu.
At the end of last year, the promotion ceremony for the rank of general of the Central Military Commission was held at the Bayi Building in Beijing. The newly appointed Army Political Commissar Chen Hui was awarded the rank of general. Army Commander Li Qiaoming, former Army Political Commissar Qin Shutong, Navy Political Commissar Yuan Huazhi, and Armed Police Commander Wang Chunning, all four generals, were absent, sparking rumors of their investigation.
However, according to CCTV footage, Yuan Huazhi and Wang Chunning, both National People’s Congress representatives, did not appear in the military delegation, and Qin Shutong is not a National People’s Congress representative. Lieutenant General Miao Hua, a Central Military Commission member and Director of the Political Work Department of the Military Commission who was suspended from duty last November, is also a National People’s Congress representative.
Among the military representatives confirmed in the current session of the National People’s Congress on February 24, 2023, 14 people have been dismissed. Those involved include: Zhang Zhenzhong, Zhang Yulin, Rao Wenmin, Ju Xinchun, Ding Laihang, Lv Hong, Li Yuchao, Li Chuanguang, Zhou Yaning, Li Zhizhong, Li Shangfu, Deng Zhiping, You Haitao, and Li Pengcheng. They are delegates from the Central Military Commission Equipment Development Department, Navy, Air Force, Army, and Rocket Force. Many of them have been linked to the corruption case involving the Rocket Force since 2023.
Yoichiro Sato, a professor of Asia-Pacific studies at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Japan, told Voice of America, “The purge likely reflects the increasing challenge to Xi Jinping from other party leaders. Military leaders suspected of not being loyal enough to Xi Jinping are likely to be the first to be dismissed.”
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This article was translated and rewritten for clarity and detail. The original sources have been omitted for privacy reasons.