Chinese leader Xi Jinping is approaching the People’s Liberation Army’s 2027 centenary with five of the seven members appointed to its top command in 2022 either expelled or under investigation.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) said its Central Committee will convene its Fifth Plenum in October. The meeting could provide an opportunity to fill some of those positions, although the announced agenda does not mention personnel appointments.
The CCP charter gives the Central Committee authority to determine the composition of the Central Military Commission (CMC). The previous plenum used that authority in October 2025 to elevate Zhang Shengmin, then the military’s top discipline official, to CMC vice chairman….
Xi Faces Shrinking Pool of Generals as PLA Command Vacancies Mount
