Xi Jinping’s PLA Purge: Generals Removed, 2014–2026 Tracker

CSIS calls Xi Jinping’s purge of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) unprecedented. This Xi Jinping PLA purge tracker lists every general we could match to an official notice or a U.S. government report, from the first anti-corruption cases in 2014 to the Fifth Plenum on Oct. 29, 2026.

All wording on why officers were removed is China’s own and is attributed. Being investigated or expelled by the Party is not a criminal conviction, and only one officer listed here, Guo Boxiong, has been sentenced.

Key takeaways

• The count: 36 to 100+ senior officers, depending on whether unannounced removals are included.
• The top: Xi’s own deputies fell. Two sitting vice chairmen of the Central Military Commission (CMC) were expelled within a year.
• The record plenum: on Oct. 29, 2026, the Central Committee confirmed 33 expulsions, 16 of them military, according to Xinhua and the BBC.
• Readiness: the Pentagon says the investigations “very likely risk short term disruptions.”

The tracker: generals removed under Xi

The table lists 40 officers whose removal China announced, plus one reported case kept apart below. On a phone, swipe the table sideways.

Reported, not officially announced

Defense Minister Dong Jun is not listed. The South China Morning Post reported on Oct. 27, 2026, that he skipped a regional defense meeting but was expected at the plenum as a Central Committee member. No official action against him has been announced.

Timeline by wave

2014 to 2016: the old guard. The first wave targeted retired leaders. Xu Caihou was expelled in 2014 and Guo Boxiong received a life sentence in 2016.

2023: the Rocket Force and equipment. Nine military deputies left the national legislature in one notice, six of them from the Rocket Force or the equipment department. Li Shangfu was removed as defense minister that October.

2024: the ministers. Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe were expelled together in June. The DoD counted 8 of 42 military Central Committee members removed or under investigation by July 2024. Miao Hua was suspended in November.

2025: the political commissars and the theaters. The defense ministry named nine expelled officers on Oct. 17. At the Fourth Plenum, CNA reported that He Weidong became the first serving CMC vice chairman to be expelled from both the Party and the military. The NUS East Asian Institute counted 27 of 42 military Central Committee members absent.

2026: the CMC itself. Zhang Youxia, the top-ranked CMC vice chairman, came under investigation in January with Liu Zhenli. The Fifth Plenum confirmed both expulsions alongside 14 other officers. BBC counts 51 Central Committee removals in Xi’s third term.

The Rocket Force purge

The Rocket Force controls China’s land-based nuclear and conventional missiles. According to the 2025 China Military Power Report, two of its commanders were fired, its chief of staff Sun Jinming was detained in summer 2023, and its political commissar Xu Zhongbo was replaced. The report says leaders from the Navy and Air Force took over top Rocket Force posts.

The same report cites reported capability problems, including malfunctioning missile silo lids. It also says at least 26 defense-industry managers were investigated or removed.

Defense ministers

Both former ministers lost their general’s rank and their seats as delegates to the 20th Party Congress, Xinhua reported.

CMC-level removals

The Central Military Commission is the Party body that commands the PLA. Since 2022, five of its seven members have been purged, CSIS found. The removals include:

• He Weidong, vice chairman: absent from March 2025, expelled in October 2025.
• Miao Hua, political work chief: suspended in November 2024, expelled in October 2025.
• Li Shangfu, member and defense minister: removed in 2023.
• Zhang Youxia, vice chairman and Politburo member: expelled in September 2026.
• Liu Zhenli, Joint Staff chief: expelled in September 2026.

Xinhua’s Sept. 21 statement said the two “formed self-serving cliques, were disloyal and dishonest” and “accepted a huge sum of bribes.” Zhang Shengmin was named vice chairman in October 2025 and elected to the Politburo on Oct. 29, 2026.

Readiness and Taiwan: what analysts say

The following is analysis, attributed to its authors:

• The Pentagon judged in December 2025 that the investigations “very likely risk short term disruptions” to the PLA’s operational readiness.
• Bonny Lin of CSIS pointed out that the PLA took 19 days to launch its Strait Thunder-2025A exercise.
• CSIS found that the Eastern Theater, which faces Taiwan, had no commander from March to December 2025. Yang Zhibin was named on Dec. 22, 2025.
• M. Taylor Fravel of MIT estimated that about 52% of leadership positions have been affected.
• Joel Wuthnow argued that the purge could ultimately produce a stronger PLA.

China’s next Party Congress, the 21st, is set for the second half of 2027, when a new Central Committee and CMC will be chosen.

FAQ

How many generals has Xi Jinping purged?

Estimates run from 36 to more than 100 senior officers. The low end counts only officers China has officially expelled or dismissed; the high end adds officers who have been removed or vanished from public view without an announcement.

Who are the most senior officers removed?

Two sitting CMC vice chairmen: He Weidong, expelled in October 2025, and Zhang Youxia, expelled in September 2026. Earlier, former vice chairmen Xu Caihou and Guo Boxiong fell in 2014 to 2016.

Why does China say the officers were removed?

Official statements cite serious violations of Party discipline, suspected duty-related crimes and, in several cases, bribery. China’s statements are the only official account; none of the cases has been tested in open court.

Which defense ministers were removed?

Li Shangfu, removed in October 2023, and his predecessor Wei Fenghe. Both were expelled from the Party on June 27, 2024.

Why was the Rocket Force hit so hard?

The force that runs China’s missile arsenal lost two commanders. The DoD says vacated posts were filled with Navy and Air Force officers. China has not given a reason beyond discipline violations.

Who is left on the Central Military Commission?

After the Fifth Plenum, BBC reports the CMC is down to Xi and Zhang Shengmin. CRS says it has one sitting member aside from Xi.

Does the purge affect a Taiwan conflict?

Analysts are split. U.S. officials see near-term costs to readiness, while some scholars expect a leaner, more loyal PLA in the long run.

Sources

• Xinhua: CPC Central Committee Fifth Plenum communique (Oct. 29, 2026)
• Xinhua: Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli expelled (Sept. 21, 2026)
• U.S. Department of Defense: Military and Security Developments Involving the PRC 2025
• Congressional Research Service: China’s military (IF11719, July 2026)
• CSIS: Assessing Xi’s unprecedented purges of China’s military (Feb. 24, 2026)

Additional sources

• BBC: China’s Communist Party expels record 33 officials (Oct. 29, 2026)
• gov.cn: Nine military officers expelled (Oct. 17, 2025)
• CNA: Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli under investigation (Jan. 24, 2026)
• NPC Standing Committee notice on military deputies (Dec. 29, 2023, Chinese)
• NUS East Asian Institute: China’s Fourth Plenum 2025
• Asia Business Daily: Fifth Plenum expulsions (Oct. 29, 2026)
• People’s Daily: Xu Caihou expelled (July 1, 2014)
• Xinhua: Guo Boxiong sentenced (July 25, 2016)
• Xinhua: Li Shangfu expelled (June 27, 2024)
• Xinhua: Wei Fenghe expelled (June 27, 2024)
• Xinhua: NPC Standing Committee removes Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli from the state CMC (Aug. 28, 2026, Chinese)

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