China Expels 4 Defense Executives as Anti-Corruption Purge Continues

Udumbara Udumbara
Dec 28, 2025 - 10:48 Updated: Dec 27, 2025 - 22:54
0
China Expels 4 Defense Executives as Anti-Corruption Purge Continues

.

China has officially expelled four senior defense leaders from its top political advisory body, amid a deepening purge in the military establishment that has raised questions about Beijing’s efforts to modernize its armed forces.

The four executives, all with state-owned defense conglomerates, were stripped of their membership at the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), according to a statement published on the body’s website.

The decision was endorsed at a CPPCC chairpersons’ council meeting on Dec. 24, it said. Four other former senior leaders at state-owned enterprises in the energy, medical, and logistics industries were also removed from the CPPCC, according to the statement.

The CPPCC is the nation’s top political advisory body, composed of influential figures from various sectors of society to bolster the ruling Communist Party’s influence.

The body didn’t specify the reasons for the eight men’s departure. Under its constitution, members placed under investigation for “serious violations of discipline and law” could be dismissed.
.
The move came amid a renewed anti-graft campaign that has swept across almost every industry, particularly in critical sectors such as weaponry and missiles. At least 26 current and former senior managers at state-owned arms suppliers were placed under investigation or removed from their posts last year, according to a Pentagon assessment.
.
As the purges continue, major arms contractors in China saw revenue decline in 2024, according to a recent report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Beijing’s announcement came a day after the Pentagon released its latest report on Chinese military and security developments. The congressionally mandated report noted the sweeping purges had led to the removal of senior leadership across all theater commands in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

“The number of personnel removed likely has implications for the PLA’s progress towards its 2027 modernization goals,” the report reads. “Given the PLA’s continued progress against these goals, it is difficult to ascertain how significant these implications have been.”

The Expelled

Among the latest ousted executives was Cao Jianguo, an aerospace simulation expert who headed the Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC), a defense enterprise tasked by Beijing with narrowing the gap with the United States in aircraft engines.
Speculation that Cao was caught up in the anti-graft campaign emerged in May, when his profile disappeared from the company’s website, signaling that he had stepped down as chairman.

At 62, Cao had not reached the traditional retirement age of 63 for top leaders at major state-owned companies. No reason was provided for Cao’s exit, and he hasn’t been seen in public since at least September 2024.

Also removed from the top advisory was Zeng Yi, who worked for China Electronics Corporation (CEC), which manufactures telecom equipment for both military and civilian purposes. Zeng, 60, was abruptly removed from his role as chairman in April, seven months after his unexplained disappearance.

Before joining CEC in 2021, Zeng spent most of his career at China North Industries Group Corporation Limited, also known as Norinco, a leading weapons manufacturer for the PLA.

Along with Zeng, Fan Youshan, another senior executive formerly with Norinco, was also dismissed from the political advisory body on Dec. 24. Fan served as vice chairman at Norinco for five years before being transferred to China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, or CETC, which makes a range of defense equipment, from advanced radar systems to missile components.

The fourth expelled defense leader was Zhang Dongchen, who was appointed chairman of China Satellite Network Group Corp (SatNet) upon its establishment in 2021. SatNet focuses on managing a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit that could provide internet services for both civilian and military use.

Other ousters include Ma Zhengwu, former chairman of China Rong Tong Asset Management Group Corporation Limited; Liu Guoyue, former chairman of China Energy Investment Corporation; and Yu Peigen, former chairman of Dongfang Electric Corporation.

Wang Xinghuan, a medical expert known for leading a makeshift hospital at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, also lost his seat at the country’s political advisory body.

.

Read More