China’s rubber-stamp legislature, the National People’s Congress, abruptly dismissed 19 of its deputies Thursday afternoon without explanation, including nine military officers. The move came after dictator Xi Jinping purged a series of high-ranking People’s Liberation Army (PLA) leaders, and only a week before the annual meeting of the Chinese legislature in Beijing.
Thursday’s removals were announced by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s top legislative authority. Among the deputies dismissed were Li Qiaoming, commander of PLA Ground Forces, and former People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) commander Shen Jinlong.
The military deputies included five full generals, three major generals, and a lieutenant general – namely Wang Donghai, political commissar of the National Defense Mobilization Department.
Next week will see the “Two Sessions” held every year in Beijing – meetings of the NPC and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, an advisory body that has even less actual authority than the NPC does.
Even though the NPC exists only to put a ceremonial stamp of approval on whatever Xi wants to do, the Two Sessions are considered a major event on China’s political calendar, with thousands of delegates flocking to Beijing to attend.
Xi made the surprising decision to purge his top general, Central Military Commission (CMC) vice chair Zhang Youxia, in late January. Zhang was second only to Xi himself in the chain of command, was a personal friend of Xi’s family, and was one of the few high-ranking Chinese officers to have practical combat experience.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London published a report on Tuesday that found Xi’s aggressive purges of military officers have significantly compromised the readiness of the PLA. Xi has insisted the purges are necessary to root out corruption.
Read the full article here