China promotes sole military general to top party body

Chinese Communist Party leaders elevated General Zhang Shengmin to the Politburo on Thursday, adding the only remaining military figure from the Central Military Commission to the party's highest governing body. The move follows the removal of two other senior generals by President Xi Jinping, which had left the top leadership without any direct representation from the People's Liberation Army.

The promotion occurred during a four-day closed-door meeting where top leaders debated and adopted resolutions intended to guide the party for the next several years. This gathering takes place roughly one year before Xi is expected to secure a fourth five-year term as party leader. The timing underscores the party's focus on consolidating control and addressing internal stability ahead of the leadership transition.

Alongside the personnel changes, the leaders approved a resolution focused on strengthening self-governance, discipline, and anti-corruption measures. The party stated that its tasks are becoming increasingly difficult, citing the need to unite and lead the population in protecting national sovereignty and security. The resolution emphasizes the necessity of rooting out corruption and maintaining ideological purity to ensure the party's long-term ability to govern.

Zhang Shengmin currently serves as vice chairman of the Central Military Commission. He also holds a role overseeing internal military discipline as the deputy secretary of the CMC Commission for Discipline Inspection. His inclusion in the Politburo restores a military presence to the top governing circle after the earlier purges left Xi as the sole military member in that specific high-level council.

Analysts noted that the recent purges were more extensive than initially anticipated. Neil Thomas, a senior fellow at Asia Policy who studies Chinese politics, calculated that the attendance rate at the plenum was 74 percent. This figure represents the lowest attendance rate recorded since the era of former leader Mao Zedong, who regularly conducted political purges. The low attendance rate reflects the scale of the personnel changes reviewed and confirmed by the party members during the session.

The party's official summary, released through the Xinhua News Agency, called for maintaining the party's progressive nature and its close ties with the people. It stated that the party must enhance its long-term governance capacity while keeping its discipline inspection functions strong. The resolution serves as a blueprint for how the party will manage internal affairs and external challenges in the coming years, particularly as it prepares for the upcoming leadership selection process.