NAIROBI, Kenya- China has removed 19 officials — including nine from the military — from its list of lawmakers just days before the country’s most important annual political meeting.
The removals were announced by the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, with no official explanation offered. The timing, however, has drawn attention.
The move comes weeks after President Xi Jinping removed one of his closest military allies, Zhang Youxia, from his role — a decision that signalled renewed turbulence within China’s political and military elite.
Military Figures Among Those Dropped
According to reports by Chinese state media, those removed include senior officers from the People’s Liberation Army, among them Li Qiaoming, commander of the PLA Ground Force, and Shen Jinlong, a former PLA Navy commander.
Several provincial officials were also dropped, including Sun Shaochong, the former Communist Party chief of Inner Mongolia.
While authorities did not give reasons, such removals are typically linked to disciplinary investigations. In official Chinese language, this is often framed as “serious violations of discipline and law” — a phrase widely understood as referring to corruption.
A Familiar Pattern Under Xi
Since taking power in 2013, Xi has made anti-corruption a defining pillar of his leadership, repeatedly describing corruption as “the biggest threat” to the Communist Party.
His sweeping “tigers and flies” campaign has targeted both senior leaders and low-level officials, reshaping China’s political landscape. Thousands have been disciplined, removed, or prosecuted.
Supporters argue the campaign has strengthened party discipline. Critics say it has also served as a tool to sideline rivals and consolidate power.
Xi himself has acknowledged that the battle remains unfinished, recently warning that the fight against corruption is still “grave and complex.”
Timing Ahead of the Two Sessions
The latest removals come just before the annual Two Sessions, when thousands of delegates gather in Beijing for back-to-back meetings of the NPC and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
Running from March 4 to March 11, the Two Sessions are when China’s leadership unveils its economic targets, policy priorities, and long-term development plans.
Removing lawmakers — particularly military figures — ahead of the meetings underscores how tightly controlled the political environment has become, even at moments meant to project stability and unity.
A Signal, Even Without an Explanation
China’s leadership has offered no public justification for the removals. But in Beijing’s political system, silence itself often sends a message.
As delegates prepare to descend on the capital, the latest purge serves as a reminder that power in China remains highly centralised — and that discipline, loyalty, and alignment with the top leadership remain non-negotiable.
The Two Sessions may be about economic growth and policy direction, but the reshuffling behind the scenes highlights a parallel priority: control.
