Xi Jinping appoints new PLA anti-graft chief as military purge deepens
Chinese President Xi Jinping has appointed Zhang Shuguang as the new head of the Central Military Commission’s (CMC) Discipline Inspection Commission, the People’s Liberation Army’s top anti-corruption agency, in the latest leadership reshuffle amid an ongoing crackdown on corruption within the Chinese military.
State broadcaster CCTV reported that Zhang was promoted from lieutenant general to full general and named director of the CMC’s supervision committee, replacing Zhang Shengmin, who had overseen the military’s anti-graft drive in recent years.
Xi also promoted Wang Gang to the rank of full general and appointed him commander of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). As chairman of the Central Military Commission, Xi personally confers the PLA’s highest active military rank.
Fresh leadership amid anti-graft campaign
The CMC’s Discipline Inspection Commission serves as the Chinese military’s internal watchdog, investigating corruption and disciplinary violations across the armed forces. It functions under the Central Military Commission, the country’s highest military authority chaired by Xi.
The appointments come as Beijing continues one of the most extensive anti-corruption campaigns in the PLA’s history, targeting senior military officials since Xi began his third term as president in 2023.
Dozens of senior officers investigated
The crackdown has led to investigations into some of the PLA’s most influential figures, including former defence ministers Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe, both of whom were handed suspended death sentences under Chinese law.
Former Central Military Commission vice-chairman He Weidong and several other senior commanders have also come under scrutiny. In total, 26 generals have reportedly been investigated since 2023, with many disappearing from public view after the probes began.
Zhang Shengmin, who headed the Discipline Inspection Commission through much of the campaign, has now been replaced. Chinese state media did not provide a reason for the leadership change or announce his next assignment.
Who is Zhang Shuguang?
With his promotion to full general, Zhang Shuguang joins the highest rank in the People’s Liberation Army, equivalent to a four-star general in many countries. He will also lead the CMC’s supervision committee, a body created in 2018 to strengthen oversight of public officials alongside the Communist Party’s disciplinary system.
State media did not disclose details of Zhang’s previous roles or specify when he and Wang Gang will formally assume their new positions.
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