China’s new PLA theatre chiefs identified as anti-corruption drive clears ranks

Beijing has hinted at the new leadership line-up in its military theatre commands, with fresh faces emerging during last week’s party conclave in the seating area reserved for key commanders, filling vacancies left by China’s anti-corruption drive.

The expulsions were the latest consequences of an unprecedented anti-corruption storm that has swept through the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), triggering far-reaching personnel changes across its senior ranks.

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Former PLA generals expelled from China’s Communist Party for factionalism and disloyalty

Among the latest generals expelled from the party were three former theatre command leaders responsible for directing military operations in their respective strategic regions: Liu Qingsong, former political commissar of the Eastern Theatre Command; Huang Ming, former commander of the Northern Theatre Command; and Wang Haijiang, former commander of the Western Theatre Command.

Their downfall means the PLA’s anti-corruption campaign has officially engulfed almost all of the commanders and political commissars who have led the military’s five theatre commands since 2025.

The commands are core to the PLA’s war readiness and responsible for deploying, training and directing military forces in their respective strategic regions, with a particular emphasis on joint operations.

For much of the past year, it was not known who was leading the five commands, but the emergence of nine generals from the theatre commands, together with the insignia identifying their respective units, offers fresh clues about who is in charge of them.

Their seating positions at the plenum are consistent with the protocol reserved for top roles in their specific military units, with places in the session despite not being full or alternate members of the Central Committee.

It is not clear, however, if they are serving in an acting capacity, as such appointments are not made public.

Most previously served as deputies to their predecessors.

There have been several precedents of theatre commanders being elevated to the Central Military Commission (CMC), the PLA’s highest command body. This generally took place when they were being promoted to higher positions.

Lieutenant General Zhang Jichun is likely to be the acting political commissar in the Eastern Theatre Command. His last publicly disclosed position was deputy political commissar of the command.

A veteran of the PLA Rocket Force, Zhang spent much of his career in political work within the service. Earlier in his career, he headed the political work department of the Rocket Force’s Base 55 – a position previously held by CMC vice-chairman Zhang Shengmin.

General Yang Zhibin, commander of the Eastern Theatre Command, whose appointment was announced last year, was also present. Together, Yang and Zhang Jichun are responsible for the East China Sea and Pacific strategic directions, including the Taiwan Strait.

For the Southern Theatre Command, which oversees southward operations, including in the South China Sea, Vice-Admiral Wang Xianfeng has emerged as the likely commander.

Wang Xianfeng’s last known position was deputy commander of the Southern Theatre Command. He previously served as president of the Dalian Naval Academy, widely regarded as the cradle of the Chinese navy.

No obvious candidate is seen as his current political commissar in the footage.

Former Southern Theatre commander Wu Yanan and political commissar Wang Wenquan were both absent from last year’s plenum and the latest plenum.

Lieutenant General Liang Ping has emerged as the likely political commissar of the Central Theatre Command. Liang’s prior known posting was as deputy political commissar of the command, which is headquartered in Beijing and is responsible for defending the capital and providing operational support to other theatre commands.

He previously headed the political work bureau of the CMC’s discipline inspection commission at a time when Zhang Shengmin was overseeing the military’s anti-corruption campaign.

General Han Shengyan, who was also present, was earlier confirmed as the theatre’s commander.

Han’s predecessor, Wang Qiang, disappeared from the public eye before last year’s Victory Day parade on September 3. His political commissar, Xu Deqing, has been out of sight since the plenum last autumn.

In the Western Theatre Command, which focuses on security along the China-India border and in the strategic regions of Xinjiang and Tibet, Lieutenant General Wen Junfei has emerged as the likely acting commander. Wen’s last publicly disclosed position was deputy commander of the Western Theatre Command.

He previously served in the Central Theatre Command in 2022 alongside two officers who now hold the rank of full general – Han Shengyan and Wang Gang.

His political commissar appears to be Lieutenant General Zhang Shaoying, whose previously known post was deputy political commissar of the Western Theatre Command.

General Wang Haijiang, formerly of the Western Theatre Command, was expelled from the party at the latest plenum, while its former political commissar, Li Fengbiao, was stripped of his seat in the national legislature in June.

Lieutenant General Peng Jingtang has emerged as the likely acting commander of the Northern Theatre Command, which is headquartered in Shenyang and responsible for the Korean peninsula, the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan, or East Sea, including regular joint exercises with Russian forces in the region.

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His political commissar is Vice-Admiral Li Dongyou, whose last publicly disclosed position was deputy political commissar of the command.

Li Dongyou previously served as political commissar of the Liaoning, China’s first aircraft carrier, which is home-ported in Qingdao, within the Northern Theatre Command’s area.

Footage also showed that Vice-Admiral Zhang Like – who was promoted to head the National Defence Mobilisation Department no later than last October – was absent from this plenary session, as well as from a major event last month to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Long March.

The generals filling these vacancies do not hold seats on the Communist Party’s Central Committee but are expected to be named to the committee following next year’s party congress.

Since 2023, some 30 generals have come under investigation, while a further nine have vanished from the public eye. All previously held senior positions within the PLA.