Xi Jinping Purges Six More Generals Again: Why Doesn’t The PLA Rebel?

Chinese President Xi Jinping has intensified his sweeping military purge, removing six more senior generals from China’s top legislative body as part of his long-running anti-corruption campaign inside the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) .

The latest removals have further shaken China’s military leadership, with analysts saying the repeated purges highlight Xi’s efforts to maintain absolute control over the armed forces while eliminating officials suspected of disloyalty or corruption .

Among those removed is General Xu Xueqiang , a former Air Force officer who served as director of the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission (CMC) , China’s highest military command body chaired by Xi himself. Xu, 63, was appointed to the powerful position in 2022 and was one of the seven members of the CMC .

However, Xu disappeared from public view in October 2025 , missing several major official events. His removal followed a pattern seen in previous Chinese political purges, where senior officials vanish from public appearances before later being formally investigated for “violations of discipline” .

The six generals were expelled from the National People’s Congress , marking the official conclusion of their political careers and further highlighting the scale of the military reshuffle.

The latest purge has created an extraordinary situation within China’s military leadership. The Central Military Commission (CMC), China’s top military body , is designed to have seven members but is now left with only two remaining figures, including Xi Jinping himself .

Xi Jinping has made military reform and anti-corruption efforts a central part of his rule since taking power in 2012 . While thousands of officials across China’s government and Communist Party have faced investigations, the military has become Xi’s main focus in recent years .

Addressing the importance of military loyalty, Xi has repeatedly stressed that the Chinese Communist Party must maintain “absolute leadership” over the People’s Liberation Army .

“A strong country must have a strong military as only then can it guarantee the security of the nation,” Xi said, calling for stronger political loyalty, military reforms, technological advancement and strict discipline within the armed forces.

Earlier this year, the Central Military Commission launched political rectification training programmes aimed at strengthening ideological loyalty among military personnel.

The programme was overseen by General Zhang Youxia , the CMC vice chairman and one of the last remaining senior military leaders not affected by the purge . Zhang previously headed the CMC’s Commission for Discipline Inspection , the PLA’s top anti-corruption watchdog.

However, Xi recently promoted two new generals while reducing Zhang’s role in military discipline oversight, transferring greater authority to another newly appointed officer. The move has raised speculation over whether Zhang could face future pressure or whether Xi is simply preventing any official from accumulating too much power .