China has removed 19 officials, including nine from the military, from its list of lawmakers just days before the country’s biggest annual political meeting.
The National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee announced the removals. No official reason was provided.
The move follows recent high-profile changes in the military, including the removal of Zhang Youxia President Xi Jinping’s highest-ranking general and a close ally — from his role weeks earlier.
State media reported that those removed include Li Qiaoming, commander of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Ground Force, and Shen Jinlong, a former PLA Navy commander.
Several other military officers and provincial officials were also dropped, including Sun Shaochong, the former party chief of Inner Mongolia.
The latest purge comes amid ongoing anti-corruption efforts in the military. In October 2025, nine top generals were removed in a similar crackdown, described by authorities as part of an anti-corruption drive.
Since taking power in 2013, Xi Jinping has made fighting corruption a central focus of his leadership, launching the “tigers and flies” campaign targeting both senior and lower-level officials. He has repeatedly called corruption “the biggest threat” to the Communist Party and described the battle as “grave and complex.”
Critics argue the drives have also served as a tool to eliminate political rivals.
The removals precede the annual “Two Sessions” — meetings of the NPC (China’s legislature) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (the top advisory body) — set to run from March 4 to 11 in Beijing.
During the sessions, the government will announce its five-year plan, outlining key policy objectives, along with annual economic targets. Thousands of delegates will attend.
