Beijing’s removal of Generals He Weidong and Miao Hua marks the most significant military purge in years, underscoring Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption drive.
China has expelled two of its highest-ranking military officers from the Communist Party and stripped them of their posts in the latest escalation of President Xi Jinping’s sweeping anti-corruption campaign within the armed forces.
The Defense Ministry announced on Friday October 24, 2025, that General He Weidong, vice-chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), and Admiral Miao Hua, the military’s former top political officer, were removed from the party and handed over for prosecution on corruption charges. Both were accused of committing “serious duty-related crimes involving an extremely large amount of money.”
The ministry described their offenses as “grave” and said the investigation represented a “major achievement” in the ongoing campaign to clean up the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
He, 68, was one of China’s most senior military leaders and ranked third in command after Xi and another CMC vice-chairman. His removal is the first of a sitting CMC member since the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 70s. He has not been seen publicly since March, fueling months of speculation about his fate.
Miao, who previously headed the PLA’s Political Work Department, was dismissed from the CMC earlier in June after being investigated for “serious violations of discipline.”
Read Also: Xi Jinping Seals Third Term As China’s President
Analysts say the purge highlights Xi’s determination to consolidate control over the military ahead of a crucial Communist Party Central Committee meeting scheduled to begin in Beijing in the coming days. The gathering is expected to formalize additional leadership reshuffles and disciplinary actions.
“Xi is cleaning house for sure,” said Wen-Ti Sung, a fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub. “By formally removing He and Miao, Xi will be able to appoint loyal replacements to fill long-vacant seats on the Central Military Commission.”
The announcement also listed several other senior officers under investigation, including former theatre commanders and political commissars, many of whom had been absent from public appearances in recent months.
He’s downfall carries broader political implications. A close associate of Xi from their days in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces, He once oversaw military operations in the Eastern Theatre Command, the region facing Taiwan. He was believed to have directed the 2022 live-fire exercises following then–U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei.
The latest expulsions reinforce Xi’s message that no one, however senior, is immune from scrutiny in his decade-long campaign to root out corruption and ensure absolute loyalty within China’s military ranks.
