China Expels Top General and 8 Senior Officials in Sweeping Military Corruption Crackdown
Beijing — October 18, 2025
In a dramatic escalation of its long-running anti-corruption campaign, China has expelled its second-highest-ranking general, He Weidong, along with eight other senior military officials from the Communist Party and armed forces, the country’s Defense Ministry confirmed Friday.
The move signals the most serious political purge within the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in years and underscores President Xi Jinping’s tightening grip on the military and the ruling Communist Party.
Top General Falls from Power
He Weidong, until recently the vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) — China’s most powerful military body chaired directly by Xi — is the most senior PLA official to be ousted under suspicion of corruption to date.
The Defense Ministry stated that the nine individuals are suspected of “extremely serious crimes” involving “exceptionally large sums of money.” Their cases have been referred to military prosecutors, though the ministry did not provide specifics on the alleged offenses.
He’s fall from grace ends months of speculation after he vanished from public view earlier this year — a common sign that a high-ranking Chinese official is under internal investigation.
Before his appointment to the Central Military Commission in 2022, He led the Eastern Theater Command, a key military unit tasked with operations related to Taiwan. His position on the Politburo, the 24-member policymaking body second only to the elite Standing Committee, further underscores the scale of the shake-up.
Others Purged Include Top Political Officers
Among those expelled is General Miao Hua, director of the CMC’s Political Work Department — an influential post that controls military ideology and loyalty. Miao was placed under investigation in November 2024.
Eight of the nine expelled officials were members of the Communist Party’s Central Committee — a 205-member body set to convene next week in Beijing to outline the country’s next five-year policy plan. Their removal opens the door for non-voting alternate members to be promoted, analysts say.
“This move is a political show of force and a practical step to elevate non-voting alternates into full members of the Central Committee,” said Neil Thomas, a fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute.
Xi Jinping’s Signature Crusade
Since coming to power in 2012, Xi Jinping has made anti-corruption a central pillar of his leadership. His campaign has swept across China’s political and military ranks, taking down thousands of officials — including rivals and former allies.
While the crackdown is popular with the public, critics and observers note that it also functions as a tool to consolidate power and enforce loyalty to Xi.
High-ranking military officers enjoy significant privilege in China, and their prosecution signals an attempt to clean house within the PLA’s powerful upper echelons.
Just last year, former defense ministers Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe were both expelled from the Communist Party over corruption allegations, in what was then seen as a major blow to the military establishment.
Strategic Timing Before Key Party Meeting
The announcement comes just days before the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee is set to hold a major policy meeting in Beijing. Analysts believe the timing is no coincidence.
“Removing these figures now sends a clear message about discipline, loyalty, and Xi’s unchallenged authority,” said a China policy analyst who requested anonymity due to political sensitivity.
As China navigates internal economic pressures, global geopolitical tensions, and heightened scrutiny over its military activities in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, Xi’s leadership appears more determined than ever to maintain internal cohesion — by force, if necessary.
A Broader Pattern of Control
The ousting of He and other top commanders reflects a broader strategy to ensure absolute political loyalty within the ranks of both the government and the military.
With trust in the PLA leadership shaken by successive scandals, observers expect further investigations and purges in the coming months as Xi works to install a new generation of military leaders aligned with his strategic vision.
While Chinese authorities rarely release detailed information about corruption cases, the scale of this latest purge highlights how entrenched graft remains — even at the heart of the nation’s defense apparatus.
Reporting by [Your PBN Brand] Newsroom.
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