China purged the most important leaders of its military leadership, and this could mean the end of Xi Jinping.

Two of China's most important military leaders, He Weidong and Miao Hua, have been officially expelled from the Communist Party and the Armed Forces as part of an anti-corruption purge that continues to shake the upper echelons of Chinese military power.

Alongside them, seven other senior officers (He Hongjun, Wang Xiubin, Lin Xiangyang, Qin Shutong, Yuan Huazhi, Wang Houbin, and Wang Chunning) have also joined and have been dismissed under accusations of serious crimes related to corruption and abuse of power.

The magnitude of the scandal and the direct involvement of figures with close ties to Xi Jinping have led many to consider that this purge could be revealing deep cracks in his leadership and even represent the beginning of his political decline.

Unprecedented purge in the Chinese armed forces

He Weidong, 68 years old, was the second-in-command of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the supreme body overseeing the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), only below Xi Jinping, who serves as its chairman.

His expulsion is particularly significant, since he was also part of the influential CCP Politburo, the country's second most important power body. This is the first time since the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) that a sitting CMC general has been purged in this way.

Miao Hua, former political commissar of the Chinese Navy and a key figure in the military power structure, had already been removed from the CMC in June, following an investigation launched in November 2023. His official downfall now confirms that the suspicions were well-founded and that his involvement in corrupt activities was considered serious enough to justify his definitive expulsion.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense, Zhang Xiaogang, explained that the nine dismissed officers committed "serious violations of Party discipline" and are "suspected of serious crimes related to the exercise of their duties and large sums of money."

He also stated that the events had "extremely harmful consequences" for the country and described the outcome of the investigations as "a significant achievement" of the anti-corruption campaign.

In addition to He and Miao, the following were also expelled:

• He Hongjun: former senior official of the PLA Political Work Department.
   
• Wang Xiubin: prominent figure in the CMC Joint Operations Command Center.
   
• Lin Xiangyang: former commander of the Eastern Theater Command.
   
• Qin Shutong and Yuan Huazhi: former political commissars of the PLA Army and Navy.


• Wang Houbin: admiral linked to the Navy.
   
• Wang Chunning: former commander of the People's Armed Police, recently expelled from the national parliament.

All of them shared a common denominator: many had been missing from public life for months, which fueled speculations that have now been confirmed.

Their dismissals coincide with the imminent Fourth Plenum of the CCP Central Committee, where Xi Jinping is expected to take the opportunity to carry out a deep restructuring of the CMC, which has been virtually half-operational since March.

A major blow to Xi Jinping's image

What makes this purge especially delicate is that several of the expelled military officers maintained close ties with Xi Jinping. In particular, He Weidong has been considered for years a loyal ally of the president, with whom he shared time in the provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang during the 1990s. His meteoric rise, including his direct promotion to CMC vice chairman in 2022, had been interpreted as a sign of Xi's trust.

Meanwhile, He was one of the architects of the 2022 military maneuvers around Taiwan, in response to the visit of then Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi. These maneuvers were considered by the Pentagon to be the most aggressive in years and reflected his high level of operational influence.

For this reason, his downfall not only represents another purge, but also a questioning of Xi Jinping's personal and strategic decisions. 

The beginning of the end for Xi Jinping

The magnitude of this purge, and the fact that it directly affects figures so close to the president, has raised doubts about the stability of Xi Jinping's power. After more than a decade consolidating his control over the Party, the Army, and the State, these scandals reveal a structure more fragile than it appears.

The anti-corruption campaign, which Xi has used as a tool to eliminate rivals and strengthen his power since 2012, now seems to be turning against himself. The removal of He Weidong, considered one of the military architects of the Xi era, could mark the beginning of the decline of a leadership that until now seemed unbreakable.

Although the Fourth Plenum of the Central Committee could temporarily reinforce his control, the massive purge, the lack of transparency, and the damage to his inner circle could be early signs that Xi Jinping's power is beginning to erode from within.