China removes six senior generals from National People's Congress

China’s standing committee of the National People’s Congress announced the removal of six senior military officers from its legislative body, part of President Xi Jinping’s intensified anti‑corruption campaign. The dismissed generals include Xu Xueqiang, head of the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission and commander‑in‑chief of the manned space programme, as well as Li Fengbiao, Guo Puxiao, Wang Kangping, Zhang Minghua and Yin Hongxing.

The purge also saw the ousting of former financial regulator Li Yunze and former Xinjiang party chief Ma Xingrui, and reduced the seven‑member Central Military Commission to a two‑person committee of Xi and newly promoted vice‑chair Zhang Shengmin. Analysts view the move as a consolidation of Xi’s control over the armed forces and a removal of potential rivals within the party.