BEIJING — China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is undergoing a significant leadership reshuffle, with many senior roles now held by acting or unconfirmed officers, reflecting President Xi Jinping’s cautious approach to rebuilding the military’s top brass amid a sweeping anti-corruption purge.

As many as 20 key PLA positions have been reassigned following the purges, according to the South China Morning Post on August 5. However, Beijing has not publicly announced some lower-ranking officers who have emerged in senior roles, signaling uncertainty over the final composition of the military leadership.

Nathan Attrill, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), told CNA, “The PLA is restoring day-to-day command and organisational continuity faster than Xi Jinping is rebuilding confidence in the officers now filling senior roles.” Attrill added that Xi is elevating deputies and senior officers to maintain operations but remains cautious about granting permanent appointments and full institutional authority.

The upheaval has left the seven-member Central Military Commission (CMC), formed after the 20th Party Congress in 2022, with only two active members: Xi as chairman and vice-chairman Zhang Shengmin.

Shanshan Mei, a political scientist at the RAND Corporation, noted that formal appointments have appeared in strategically important commands such as the Eastern and Central theatres. Yet, a “much larger layer underneath” is managed by lower-ranked, unannounced acting officers.

Officers with diverse institutional experience are emerging, including those with backgrounds in army staff, naval headquarters, and the air force. Wilder from Georgetown University highlighted the prominence of officers with air force backgrounds, such as Wang, Yang, and Han, who have been formally elevated to senior commands.

The former 31st Group Army, based in Fujian before its 2017 reorganisation as the 73rd Group Army, has drawn scrutiny. Senior officers from this unit, including former CMC members He and Miao, are viewed by analysts as part of a Fujian-linked cohort with ties to Xi’s years working in the province.

This reshuffle underscores Xi Jinping’s ongoing efforts to consolidate control and rebuild confidence within the PLA’s leadership amid a period of significant transition.

Sources