China ousts 2 military lawmakers as Xi’s defence purge widens

BEIJING – China abruptly ousted two military lawmakers from Parliament without explanation, as a purge of key personnel in the upper echelons of the nation’s defence establishment shows no sign of easing.

The country’s top legislative body revoked the membership of Lieutenant-General You Haitao and Vice-Admiral Li Pengcheng during a meeting on Dec 25, according to a report from the National People’s Congress Standing Committee.

Lt-Gen You was once a deputy commander of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Ground Force.

Vice-Adm Li is the navy commander of the Southern Theatre Command, which oversees the South China Sea region that has been fraught with territorial tensions.

Vice-Adm Li’s predecessor – Vice-Admiral Ju Xinchun – was purged from Parliament a year ago.

The legislative body only said Lt-Gen You and Vice-Adm Li were suspected of violating law and discipline, which is typically how the Chinese Communist Party refers to corruption.

Their departures are the latest sign that

the anti-corruption campaign

sweeping through the military since 2023 – originally targeted at the PLA’s equipment procurement unit and the secretive Rocket Force – continues unabated.

In November, China suspended one of its senior officials on the Central Military Commission, the nation’s top military body led by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

On Dec 23, China unexpectedly revealed a new political commissar for the Ground Force. BLOOMBERG