The Chinese leader Xi Jinping he replaced two generals who commanded the country's missile forces, thus initiating the most important purge within the army's top ranks. The general Li Yuchao, commander of the Rocket Force of the People's Liberation Army, and his deputy, the general Liu Guangbin, had already disappeared from circulation several months ago. According to foreign experts and intelligence officials, the two generals were hit as a result of the crackdown on corruption and the strengthening of Communist Party discipline.
State media said yesterday that Wang Houbin, deputy commander of the Navy since 2020, is now the new head of the Rocket Force, the branch of the military responsible for nuclear ballistic missiles. Xu Xisheng, an air force officer and member of the party's central committee, was instead appointed the new political commissar of the Rocket Force.
Beijing has not made any announcements about Li and Liu's whereabouts, but foreign officials briefed on the information related to the matter believe the two generals are under investigation for alleged dissemination of military secrets. Their demise and now their replacement comes amid a series of announcements of new anti-corruption measures in the military and a renewed push to ensure the army's absolute allegiance to the Communist Party and Xi himself.
Xi is no stranger to these purges in military circles. Xi ten years ago had it removed Xu Caihou e Guo Boxing, former deputy chairmen of the Central Military Commission, on heavy charges of corruption.
The Rocket Force is an essential branch of the Chinese military as it is responsible for both the land-based nuclear deterrent, which Beijing is rapidly expanding, and conventional ballistic missiles, which play a key role in deterring any US intervention in China's vicinity.
Rocket Force's new leadership was only made official yesterday, when state media reported that Wang and Xu had been promoted to the rank of general. No official press release from the Communist Party disclosed the important news.
The replacement of senior Chinese officials is a well-established practice, especially following investigations into corruption or for disciplinary reasons. The former foreign minister Qin gang disappeared from the public eye for a month before being replaced last week by its predecessor, Wang Yi.
According to analysts, writes the FT, Xi's decision to appoint two generals from other branches of the Chinese army as the new leaders of the Rocket Force indicates a desire to disrupt any networks of loyalists close to the two replaced generals. Wang, the new commander, had a rapid rise in the navy, rising from deputy chief of fleet staff at the Eastern Theater Command to deputy commander of the navy and political commissar of the navy over the course of just over a decade.
Subscribe to our newsletter!