China strips generals, ex-financial regulator, politburo member of lawmaker posts
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- National People's Congress on June 26 stripped six military lawmakers, former financial regulator head Li Yunze, and recently probed Politburo member Ma Xingrui of their posts, per state-run Xinhua.
- The NPC Standing Committee notice provided no reason for the dismissals; the Defence Ministry did not immediately respond to a comment request.
- The removals are the latest escalation in Xi Jinping's years-long anti-corruption campaign, which has investigated, removed, and purged scores of senior officials and top generals.
- General Xu Xueqiang, head of the Central Military Commission's Equipment Development Department and commander-in-chief of China's Manned Space Programme since 2022, was among those removed.
- Five other generals were also dismissed: Li Fengbiao (PLA Western Theatre Command political commissar), Guo Puxiao (PLA Air Force political commissar), Wang Kangping (Eastern Theatre Command), Zhang Minghua (Cyberspace Force), and Yin Hongxing (Army).
Why it matters: The removal of the PLA's Equipment Development Department chief—who also ran China's Manned Space Programme—strikes at the heart of military procurement and the space program simultaneously, while simultaneous purges across five PLA commands show Xi's anti-corruption drive has now reached into operational military leadership at scale.
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