Xi Suddenly Promotes Senior Military Officials Before Third Plenum – Analysis: Major Changes Expected in Military Commission

Amid the upcoming convening of the 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), He Hongjun, the Deputy Director of the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission, was suddenly promoted to the rank of General and made his first public appearance as the Executive Deputy Director of the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission. Political analysts believe that He Hongjun’s uncommon promotion signifies a rare instance of advancement even surpassing the usual protocol. The fact that CCP leader Xi Jinping promoted He Hongjun to General before the convening of the Third Plenary Session suggests that there may be significant adjustments or restructuring within the Central Military Commission at the upcoming session.

On July 9th, the CCP held a promotion ceremony where He Hongjun, the Executive Deputy Director of the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission, was promoted to the rank of a General. This is the second time in 2024 that such a promotion ceremony for the rank of General has taken place within the CCP. In March of this year, Wang Renhua, the Secretary of the Political and Legal Committee of the Central Military Commission, and Xiao Tianliang, the President of the National Defense University, were also promoted to the rank of General.

Public information shows that He Hongjun is over 62 years old, a native of Yang County in Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province, and has served as a political commissar of a division in the Xinjiang Military Region, director of the Political Department of the Qinghai Province Military Region, and Deputy Director of the General Political Department Cadre Department and Director of the Veterans Bureau. In May 2017, He Hongjun was appointed as an assistant to the Director of the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission, and by the first half of 2019, he had been promoted to the rank of Deputy Theater-level. In October 2019, He Hongjun appeared on the list of the Seventh National Population Census Leading Group as the Deputy Director of the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission.

At the time of his promotion to General, He Hongjun also made his first public appearance as the Executive Deputy Director of the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission.

The current member of the CCP Central Military Commission and Director of the Political Work Department of the Military Commission is Navy Admiral Miao Hua. Miao Hua, over 68 years old, is a native of Rugao, Nantong, Jiangsu, and was born in Fuzhou, Fujian. Apart from He Hongjun, the Deputy Director of the Political Work Department of the Military Commission also includes Air Force Major General Wang Chengnan.

The Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission of the CCP is one of the functional departments established after the so-called military reform at the end of 2015, mainly responsible for organizational work, political education, and military personnel management of the entire army.

Political commentator Chen Pokong believes that He Hongjun’s promotion this time is unprecedented and even a leapfrog promotion, which is extremely rare. On July 12, Chen Pokong said in an interview with a reporter from the Dajiyuan that generals promoted by the CCP are usually commanders and political commissars of theaters or heads of the four general departments (the former General Staff Department, General Political Department, General Logistics Department, and General Equipment Department), whereas He Hongjun’s position is quite different. In addition, promotions of generals by the CCP usually occur on the eve of the so-called “August 1st Army Day,” making He Hongjun’s promotion before the Third Plenary Session unusual. This suggests that there may be significant changes or reshuffles…