China fills military gap in top leadership body

Chinese Communist Party leaders elected General Zhang Shengmin to the Politburo on Thursday. Zhang is the only remaining general on the Central Military Commission. He currently serves as vice chairman of that body. The move places a military representative back into the party's highest governing circle. Xi Jinping had previously removed two other top generals from their posts. Those purges left the Politburo without any active members of the People's Liberation Army.

Zhang holds a dual role within the military hierarchy. He serves as deputy secretary of the CMC Commission for Discipline Inspection. This position oversees internal military discipline. The party adopted a separate resolution during the meeting to strengthen self-governance and anti-corruption efforts. The document states that the party faces increasingly arduous tasks. These tasks include safeguarding national sovereignty and development interests.

The four-day closed-door meeting concluded with the adoption of these resolutions. The gathering took place in Bangkok. Party members reviewed personnel changes made during earlier purges. They confirmed the removal of top military officials and party members. This formalized the leadership shifts that occurred over the past year.

The timing of the meeting is specific. It occurs about one year before President Xi Jinping is expected to secure a fourth five-year term. The resolution emphasizes maintaining ideological purity. It also calls for keeping close ties with the general population. Xinhua News Agency reported that the party must enhance its long-term governance capacity. The document uses the phrase flesh-and-blood ties to describe the relationship between the party and the people.

Neil Thomas, a senior fellow at Asia Policy, analyzed the attendance records from the plenum. He calculated an attendance rate of 74 percent. This figure represents the lowest turnout since the era of former leader Mao Zedong. Thomas noted that the purges were wider than initially expected. The low attendance rate aligns with the recent removal of high-ranking officials.

Xi has led an anti-corruption campaign since assuming power in 2012. The crackdown has lasted for more than a decade. Analysts indicate the current focus has expanded. It now targets underperforming officials in addition to corrupt ones. The new resolution codifies this broader scope of oversight. The party aims to root out corruption while maintaining its progressive nature.

The meeting sets the direction for the party in the coming years. The leadership confirmed the personnel changes in the Central Military Commission. Zhang Shengmin now holds a seat in the Politburo alongside other top civilian and military leaders. The resolution provides the framework for their governance approach. The party will implement these rules in the period leading up to the next leadership election.