China Power | Security | East Asia

China’s February 26 Military Purge: The Domino Effect

In the latest sign of continuing purges in China’s military, 10 PLA officers were stripped of their roles as delegates to the National People’s Congress.

On February 26, ahead of the important annual Two Sessions meetings, China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) removed ten People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officers from their posts as NPC deputies. Under Chinese political conventions, this development usually indicates serious trouble for the individuals involved.  

Although the NPC did not provide reasons for their removal, an analysis of these officers’ backgrounds suggest that their ouster was motivated by connections to previously purged generals. In other words, earlier purges appear to have started a domino effect within the PLA, triggering the downfall of both active and retired officers. 

Given the rapid expansion of investigations, these incidents may be undercutting PLA readiness and causing greater consternation within the officer corps. It is expected that more officers will be implicated in connection with the February 26 cases in the months ahead.

Retired Admiral Shen Jinlong, who served as the commander of the PLA Navy (PLAN) from 2017 to 2021, was stripped of his NPC position alongside his political commissar, Admiral Qin Shengxiang. Shen was a career naval officer who started out as a squad leader and accumulated substantial operational experience as he rose up the ranks. Qin, by contrast, spent most of his career working at the Central Military Commission (CMC) and was later airdropped into the PLAN political commissar post in 2017. Under the leadership of Shen and Qin, the Chinese navy underwent a major expansion in both fleet size and capabilities. However, their careers coincided with the rise of Zhang Youxia as CMC vice chairman, and Zhang was abruptly purged in late January. These professional ties and personal linkages likely contributed to the removals of Shen and Qin. 

Similarly, former PLA Air Force Political Commissar Yu Zhongfu – who worked as a pair with Air Force Commander Ding Laihang from 2017 to 2021 – likely fell due to these associations, given that Ding has been under corruption investigation since 2023. 

General Li Qiaoming, the commander of the PLA Army, has been missing since last July’s PLA Day banquet. He was removed as an NPC deputy on February 26. Li’s journey from the commander of the Northern Theater Command to leading the PLA Army also coincided with Zhang Youxia’s rise as CMC vice chairman, which may have sealed his fate in a time of widening purges.  

Like Li Qiaoming, former Information Support Force Political Commissar Li Wei has been missing since last year’s PLA Day banquet. During his tenure as political commissar of the Strategic Support Force, he served with Commander Ju Qiansheng, who had long rumored to be under investigation and was noted for repeated public disappearances and reappearances. Eventually, Ju failed to attend the PLA Day banquet and the subsequent Fourth Plenum. He has not been seen in public since. 

In addition to these former chiefs of PLA services and forces, commanders of key operational units also fell in the February 26 purge. Major General Ding Laifu, the current commander of the 73rd Group Army and Major General Yang Guang, commander of PLA Rocket........

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