The CCP elite political landscape of China has been dramatically reshaped as the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s top executive body replaced 11 members at a key closed-door meeting in Beijing this week.
The high-profile turnover, the largest since 2017, comes amid an intense and ongoing anti-corruption purge within the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), signalling a firm reinforcement of President Xi Jinping’s dominance over the Party and the military apparatus.
The announcement followed the conclusion of the four-day Fourth Plenum of the CCP’s 20th Central Committee, a body comprising more than 300 full and alternate members who convene to set national policy and confirm top-level leadership changes.
Headline Points
• Highest Turnover Since 2017: The Central Committee replaced 11 full and alternate members, marking the largest personnel shake-up at a single plenum since 2017.
• Military Corruption Link: The reshuffle is directly tied to a sweeping military anti-graft campaign, which saw the expulsion of eight senior PLA generals, including a top military official.
• Key General Removed: The most significant removal was former second-ranked Vice Chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), General He Weidong, who was expelled from the Party on corruption charges.
• New Anti-Graft Chief Promoted: General Zhang Shengmin, the current military anti-corruption chief, was promoted to replace He Weidong as the CMC’s second-ranked Vice Chairman, underscoring the prioritisation of loyalty and discipline.
The Purge and Personnel Shake-up
The removal of the 11 officials, many of whom were military figures, stems from a dramatic anti-corruption drive that saw the expulsion of at least nine senior military officials last week, including General He Weidong. Gen. He, who also held a position on the 24-member Politburo, was once considered a close confidante of President Xi Jinping, making his removal the most high-profile of a sitting CMC general since the Cultural Revolution of 1966-1976.
The replacements serve a dual purpose: filling crucial vacancies left by the purged members and consolidating President Xi’s absolute control over the armed forces, a critical pillar of the CCP’s power. The promotion of Gen. Zhang Shengmin, a trusted loyalist who heads the CMC’s discipline inspection arm, is widely seen by analysts as an emphasis on political loyalty and the unwavering commitment to the anti-corruption campaign as a tool of political control.
Focusing on Economic Resilience
Beyond the personnel changes, the Fourth Plenum communique also outlined key economic priorities for the Party’s upcoming five-year development plan. In the face of global trade friction and “profound and complex” changes, the plan prioritised achieving technological self-reliance and speeding up the expansion of the domestic market through boosting consumption.
However, the dominant narrative emerging from Beijing remains the consolidation of power. Since taking leadership in 2012, President Xi’s anti-corruption campaign has targeted thousands of officials, effectively eliminating both corrupt elements and perceived rivals.
The unprecedented proportion of Central Committee members who have faced political trouble—reflected by the high number of attendees missing from the plenum—demonstrates the deep reach of the current purges.
The dramatic turnover reaffirms President Xi’s standing as the Party’s “core” leader and sends a clear message to the military high command about the supreme importance of loyalty to the Party Chairman.
The new appointments are expected to cement a leadership structure more fully aligned with Xi’s long-term vision for both the Party and the nation.
