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The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has expelled a longtime ally of Chinese leader Xi Jinping from the military’s top decision-making body, the latest in a series of purges that have raised questions about the Party leader’s political control.
Adm. Miao Hua, who had overseen the military’s political loyalty since 2017, was removed from the Central Military Commission (CMC), one of China’s highest tiers of power that commands the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The decision to oust Miao was made on June 27 during a meeting of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), a Party-controlled rubber-stamp legislature that formally appoints senior state officials.
The NPC didn’t offer any explanation for Miao’s dismissal.
Miao was abruptly
suspended from office and placed under investigation in November 2024. The reason China’s defense ministry cited for the probe into Miao at the time was “serious violation of discipline,” a term typically referring to corruption.
The NPC later
revoked Miao’s membership, and in a May
report, it revealed that he faced accusations of “grave violations of discipline and the law,” indicating a more serious offense.
Miao’s sudden removal raised eyebrows among outside observers because he was a member of the powerful CMC and was widely viewed as Xi’s supporter.
Miao rose in the ranks as the PLA’s political leader. He was appointed as the navy’s political commissar in late 2014 before heading the CMC’s Political Work Department in 2017. The department is responsible for overseeing the political indoctrination in the military and has significant influence over the promotion of senior officers.
In recent years, China has seen a series of anti-graft probes into the military’s top brass. Launched by Xi more than a decade ago, the sweeping campaign initially targeted
officers loyal to factions opposing Xi’s rule.
The latest purges, however, have increasingly turned against Xi’s protégé and old associate, raising questions about the
stability of the Party’s leadership. According to some well-connected analysts who previously
spoke to The Epoch Times, Xi’s political control was significantly weakened due to the power struggle with Party elders.
The momentum of the purges appeared to show no signs of abating. On June 27, Beijing unveiled that the navy’s third-ranking officer had become the latest target of the anti-corruption campaign.
Vice Adm. Li Hanjun, chief of staff of the PLA Navy, was stripped of the title as an NPC member, according to a separate statement from the rubber-stamp legislature.
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Gen. He Weidong (R), second-ranked vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission (CMC), and Zhang Youxia, first-ranked vice chairman of the CMC, attend the opening ceremony of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 4, 2025. Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images
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Recent state media reports indicate that Gen. He Weidong, vice chair of the CMC and another close ally of Xi, has been caught up in the purge of the military establishment. He
hasn’t been seen in public since mid-March.
The defense ministry hasn’t responded to questions about He’s status. At a news briefing in March, the ministry’s spokesperson said he was
“not aware” of the purported investigation into the general.
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The CCP’s silence has only deepened the intrigue, with analysts comparing the response to the alleged purge of Adm. Dong Jun, the current defense minister, which the defense ministry
dismissed as “purely fabrications“ spread by malicious rumor-mongers. To quash speculation about his status, Dong made a public appearance in December 2024, hosting visiting defense officials from Africa.
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If it is confirmed He was purged, it would create the third vacancy in the CMC, which currently has four members under Xi, following the ousting of Miao and
Li Shangfu, the former defense minister.
The Epoch Times found that as of June 27, the leadership page from the defense ministry’s official
website was removed.
Archived internet data indicated that the page was available until June 24.
Additionally, a
search of He’s name on the defense ministry’s site yielded no results.
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Udumbara
