Zi Yang
Months after his disappearance from public view, news has finally surfaced regarding the fate of Central Military Commission (CMC) Vice Chairman He Weidong. On October 17, a spokesman for China’s Ministry of National Defense announced that He – who has not been seen since March – had been expelled from the Chinese Communist Party and stripped of his military ranks, ostensibly on corruption charges.
He’s downfall marks a major development in People’s Liberation Army (PLA) politics, as he is the first sitting CMC vice chairman with a professional military background to be purged since the Cultural Revolution.
Insights into PLA Politics
The PLA is, above all, a highly politicized institution; therefore, purges are not unexpected. However, the current scale and reach of ongoing purges within the PLA are definitely concerning.
Although the official justification often cites anti-corruption efforts, it is important to recognize that purges at the CMC level are rarely about corruption alone. Instead, political considerations are usually the dominant factor.
Long regarded by China watchers as a loyalist of Xi Jinping, He’s rise to the top mostly depended on Xi’s patronage. Consequently, his fall carries several significant implications.
The relationship between Xi and He dates back decades, when both served in the province of Fujian. Despite He’s elevation to the CMC vice chairmanship under Xi’s endorsement, they likely fell out due to a serious breakdown of trust. Xi may have come to perceive He as no longer a loyal subordinate, but as a potential threat. As a result, He was stripped of all power to ensure Xi’s personal and political security.
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