China Removes 9 Senior Officers as Military Purges Escalate

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Feb 27, 2026 - 10:58 Updated: Feb 27, 2026 - 00:29
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China Removes 9 Senior Officers as Military Purges Escalate

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The Chinese regime has expelled 9 senior military leaders from a Party-controlled legislature, adding to signs that turbulence continues within the upper echelon of the country’s armed forces.

Li Qiaoming, former commander of the ground forces, was stripped of his membership at the National People’s Congress (NPC), the country’s rubber-stamp legislature, according to state media Xinhua.

Li was among the five commanders holding full general ranks who were removed from the nation’s top legislature on Feb. 26. State media said one lieutenant general and three major generals were also ousted.

No reason was given for their dismissals.

The announcement comes amid an unprecedented purge in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) that has led to the downfall of dozens of high-ranking officers, including some of the country’s most senior generals.
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The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is known for its opacity, but its controlled armed forces are even more secretive, especially amid a deepening political cleansing that has raised questions about its leadership stability. In recent months, Beijing has increasingly delayed disclosing purges of its senior military officers.

Among the senior commanders who were ousted on Feb. 26 were Qin Shengxiang, former political commissar of the navy; Yu Zhongfu, former political commissar of the air force; Shen Jinlong, former commander of the navy; and Li Wei, former political commissar of the Information Support Force.

The other PLA officers expelled by Beijing include Ding Laifu of the Ground Force, Yang Guang of the Rocket Force, Bian Ruifeng of the Central Military Commission, and Wang Donghai, former political commissar of the National Defense Mobilization Commission.

In the latest annual survey published on Feb. 24, the International Institute for Strategic Studies said ongoing purges have left the PLA with “serious deficiencies” in its command structure.

More than 100 senior PLA officers—who hold general or lieutenant general ranks—have likely been purged since 2022, according to a tally by the China Power Project of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“And it’s not clear that Xi Jinping is done with his purges,” Bonny Lin, director of the China Power Project, said at a Feb. 24 webinar. “These purges have touched every part of the PLA.”

This is a developing story and will be updated. 
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