When Lieutenant General Han Shengyan, commander of the Central Theater Command's Air Force, invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to inspect the troops at the parade Wednesday, military watchers took note. The job usually falls to the Central Theater Commander, a full general.
The change is the latest sign that Xi's sweeping military purge-the largest since Mao Zedong's turbulent rule ended in 1976-is still widening. At least 14 generals promoted under Xi since 2012 have disappeared from public view or come under investigation, including three members of the powerful Central Military Commission, according to an earlier analysis.
Now attention has shifted to General Wang Qiang, who was serving as Central Theater Commander-Singapore-based Lianhe Zaobao reported-though Beijing never officially announced his appointment. His absence from the parade has fueled speculation that he may be under investigation. Wang previously led the Northern Theater Command before being replaced in the summer of 2024. China's Ministry of National Defence didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
China's military is even more secretive than the government. The clearest clues come when senior figures fail to show up at major public events.
That was the case with He Weidong, a vice chair of the CMC and member of the 24-man Politburo. He didn't appear on state media live broadcast of the parade Wednesday, where the rest of the leadership was on display.
A close associate of Xi, He was last seen in March at the close of China's annual congress. Xi took the unusual step in 2022 to elevate him directly to the CMC's vice chairmanship. Less than three years later, he appears to be the first uniformed vice chair ousted since Mao purged He Long in 1967.
By contrast, Zhang Youxia, another CMC vice chair, was visible in the front row, seated beside former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli.
Also missing was Xi's predecessor Hu Jintao. The 82-year-old former leader has not been seen publicly since 2022, when he was unexpectedly led off stage midway through the closing session of the Communist Party's twice-a-decade party congress, an incident that fueled speculation over his health.
The change is the latest sign that Xi's sweeping military purge-the largest since Mao Zedong's turbulent rule ended in 1976-is still widening. At least 14 generals promoted under Xi since 2012 have disappeared from public view or come under investigation, including three members of the powerful Central Military Commission, according to an earlier analysis.
Now attention has shifted to General Wang Qiang, who was serving as Central Theater Commander-Singapore-based Lianhe Zaobao reported-though Beijing never officially announced his appointment. His absence from the parade has fueled speculation that he may be under investigation. Wang previously led the Northern Theater Command before being replaced in the summer of 2024. China's Ministry of National Defence didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
China's military is even more secretive than the government. The clearest clues come when senior figures fail to show up at major public events.
That was the case with He Weidong, a vice chair of the CMC and member of the 24-man Politburo. He didn't appear on state media live broadcast of the parade Wednesday, where the rest of the leadership was on display.
A close associate of Xi, He was last seen in March at the close of China's annual congress. Xi took the unusual step in 2022 to elevate him directly to the CMC's vice chairmanship. Less than three years later, he appears to be the first uniformed vice chair ousted since Mao purged He Long in 1967.
By contrast, Zhang Youxia, another CMC vice chair, was visible in the front row, seated beside former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli.
Also missing was Xi's predecessor Hu Jintao. The 82-year-old former leader has not been seen publicly since 2022, when he was unexpectedly led off stage midway through the closing session of the Communist Party's twice-a-decade party congress, an incident that fueled speculation over his health.
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